TR Nyalu anak Tampa (left) with four of his anakbiaks after their release from the police custody.
Kuching, Aug 17, 2012: The Serian police have been urged to be impartial and professional when receiving reports lodged by the villagers of Kampung Danau Melikin in Balai Ringin constituency.
Since the beginning of this month alone, four reports have been lodged with the Serian police.
YB See Chee How (centre) meeting the villagers at PKR Stampin Service Centre at Sungai Maong Bazaar.
“All these reports concerned the use of gangsters, who are armed with samurais and spear-like kuan- tows, by two plantation companies to terrorise the villagers,” State PKT vice chairman See Chee How, who is one of the lawyers representing the villagers, told reporters today.
The companies – Malaya-based WFM Plantation Sdn Bhd and Sibu-based United Teamtrade Sdn Bhd – have been issued with provisional leases by the Taib Mahmud administration over the areas which the villagers insisted are their native customary rights lands.
The villagers have also sighted the gangsters holding what appeared to be a shotgun from a distance.
“As you can see, the police actually did nothing. There was no arrest, from what we know, and the police have not even asking these people (gangsters and the planters) to come to the police station to give their statements,” See, who is also the Batu Lintang State Assemblyman, said.
“Because the two companies are employing the gangsters, the headmen of seven surrounding longhouses held an emergency meeting on July 17, 2012 on what course of action to take,” he said.
Out of this emergency meeting, they decided to lodge a report the following day, telling the police that the gangsters were seen armed with samurais and kuan-tows terrorising and frightening the villagers from the seven longhouses.
“The gangsters actually went to all these villages, threatening the villagers,” See said.
See said that he was sad that the police did not take action on the reports lodged by the police.
“But when United Teamtrade lodged a report, they almost immediately took action by arresting five villagers of Kampung Danau Melikin, including headman Nyalu anak Tampa, close to midnight on Sunday night,” he said.
The five were later released on Aug 15 as there was no evidence linking them to the burning of a bridge owned by United Teamtrade.
See said:”But of course, they are not very happy at the way the police are conducting themselves, and I don’t see any reason why they should be siding the plantation companies.
“The villagers and the villages have been there for a long time while the companies are the trespassers and intruders, and they are employing gangsters to disrupt peace of the area.
“So, the least the police should have done is to call these people for investigation, if not arresting them.
“So, I hope that the police, especially Inspector Mohd Azlan Abdul Wahab, who has become personal with the villagers, instead of conducting the investigation in a more impartial and professional manner,” See said.
He added the people would have more confidence in the police force if they had been impartial and professional.
“The police should have been more concerned with the villagers who are trying to protect their rights and properties from the intruders,” he said.
YB See Chee How (centre) with the villagers and supporters at the PKR Stampin Service Centre.
See said he would file a court action against the two companies as soon as he had all the names of NCR land owners from 21 longhouses in Balai Ringgin.
He said that more longhouses wanted to sue the companies and the government for encroaching into their NCR land.
“Once this is done, I will file another court action to sue the police for malicious and wrongful arrest of five villagers,” he said. By Sematong Express.
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