By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, May 4: Sarawak DAP Batu Kitang branch chairman Abdul Aziz Isa urges Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang to solve the land title issues of Kampung Semeba and Kampung Tematu residents immediately rather than make nonsensical comments.
Abdul Aziz in a press statement today said if the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government is sincere about helping the villagers, the issuance of land titles must be done before the end of this month (May 2021).
He opined that the GPS government should not wait for the 12th State Election to get things done as that showed GPS lacked sincerity.
At the same time, the Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader also urged Lo to reveal the details of the outcome of discussions with the Director of Land and Survey Department with regard to the timeline of the issuance of the land title.
“Firstly, Lo didn’t disclose when will the Director (Land and Survey Department) issue the land titles, making the timeline of the issuance unclear.
“This is because the words “will be issued” is rather vague and ambiguous as it can be before election or after the state election or after the general election.
“Secondly, Lo didn’t disclose who are the eligible land owners which makes the villagers wonder if there is any probability that some of them have been classified as ‘ineligible’.
“This is because when they first applied for the land titles, there was no one left behind in the application process.
“Thus, Lo should be clear of the timeline and the eligibility of the landowners,” he said.
Apart from that, Abdul Aziz also questioned why it took so long for the Land and Survey Department to vet through the applications as the issuance of land titles has been delayed for 20 years.
Moreover, he also criticised Lo for not raising the issue during State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sittings in the latter’s past five years as the Batu Kitang assemblyman.
On another note, Abdul Aziz claimed that it was the villagers themselves who fought hard for their land titles rather than Lo who worked hard to fight for them and subsequently took credit for it.
Thus, he described what Lo has done as being “meludah ke langit, muka juga yang basah”, a saying which means one who goes against those with power will encounter difficulties. — DayakDaily
