Baru Bian dares Taib to a public debate on NCR land grabbing issue

Kuching (Jan 28, 2012): Sarawak PKR boss Baru Bian has dared Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to a public debate if he still denies that the state government has not grabbed native customary rights (BCDR) land from the owners.

"If the chief minister still says that the government has not grabbed the NCR lands, and then give suchy lands to plantation companies under the provisional leases, then I renew my challenge to him to have the debate," Baru said today after chairing the State PKR liaison committee meeting here.

Baru first dared Taib to the public debate before the April 16, 2011 state election.

Taib, however, declined but asked Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office Tan Sri Adenan Satem to represent him in the debate with Baru.

Baru said today that since the state election, PKR had received at least 50 complaints from NCR landowners on the land grab since the state election.

“My legal firm has already opened 10 files with a view to taking court actions against the state government and plantation companies,” he said.

He said NCR land grabbing by the state government would be a major issue that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component parties would be deploying in the coming general election which is likely to be held this year.

“We believe that this will be a major weapon for us to use in the campaign,” he said, adding that the NCR land issue had remained unresolved despite the pledge by the state government.

“Instead of resolving the issue, the government makes it worse by issuing an increasing number of PLs. Practically, the complaints of land grabbing have been received from all over Sarawak,” he said.

On the general election, Baru said the party had already identified potential candidates to contest in seats it was allocated with.

“Sarawak PKR has submitted their names to the central leadership for endorsement,” he said.

Baru, however, declined to reveal the seats it was allocated to contest.

“I can assure our supporters and members that we have made election preparation since October last year.

“We are more prepared this time when compared to our preparations for the state election,” he added, stating that the party had identified issues, its weaknesses and strengths, and what needed to be done.

Ends