Awang Tengah distributes RM17.1 mln in compensation to affected landowners for new Lawas airport land project

Awang Tengah delivering his speech during the 'Majlis Perasmian Program Jelajah Integriti Siri 6/2022 Bahagian Limbang' at the Sundar Community Hall in Lawas on Sunday (July 3, 2022).

KUCHING, July 6: Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan presented RM17.1 million in compensation to affected landowners of the new Lawas Airport land project.

According to the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), Awang Tengah stated that the assessment was made using the current assessment at the current rate.

“The government recognises Native Customary Rights (NCR) land if it has evidence, makes measurements, and issues land grants,” he said on Sunday (July 3) at the ‘Majlis Perasmian Program Jelajah Integriti Siri 6/2022 Bahagian Limbang’ at the Sundar Community Hall in Lawas.

Regarding the programme, Awang Tengah stated that strengthening the culture of integrity in Sarawak requires not only the participation of government departments and agencies, but also community and racial leaders (KMKK) and the community itself.

“We must all work together to perform our duties with integrity so that all planning runs smoothly and according to the specifications.

“If we implement everything with integrity, all of our plans will go smoothly, and we will become a developed country with high-income citizens,” he pointed out.

Awang Tengah, who is also the Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development and the Minister of International Trade, Industry, and Investment, went on to say that the people gave the Sarawak government a large mandate in the last election, demonstrating their trust in the government’s strong integrity.

“In the last election, we won 76 out of 82 seats, demonstrating the people’s faith in the government.

“One of the things we emphasise is our ability to defend the people’s welfare,” he explained.

He added that the Sarawak government has provided more than RM5.7 billion in financial and non-financial assistance to the affected people.

“We want its implementation to be transparent, with the cooperation of the agency and the KMKK, and so far, thank God, it is going well,” Awang Tengah mentioned.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Transport and Lawas Member of Parliament (MP) Dato Henry Sum Agong, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier Department (Integrity and Ombudsman), Dato Murshid Diraja Dr Juanda Jaya, Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM) chief executive officer (CEO) Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi, Integrity and Ombudsman Unit director Adana Jed, former Gedong assemblyman Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, and Lawas district officer Ladin Atok. — DayakDaily