By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 21: Discussions on land acquisition and compensation have formally commenced between a landowner and the authorities over a disputed parcel of land used for a public road linking Batu Kawa Old Town and Rantau Panjang, with the route remaining open to traffic while the process is underway.
The latest development follows an agreement by the landowner not to block the road temporarily after being requested by the authorities to allow public access to continue and to avoid compromising road safety pending completion of the acquisition process.
The dispute centres on claims by the landowner that part of his private land had been used by the Public Works Department (JKR) for public infrastructure and road purposes.
Batu Kawa Chung Hua Association chairman Lim Ah Ted has called on all parties to resolve the dispute through proper legal and administrative channels and refrain from actions that could affect public safety.
While acknowledging the rights of landowners to protect their legitimate interests, Lim said unilateral measures such as road blockades should not be taken.
“We respect the rights of all landowners, but any dispute involving land should be addressed through proper legal and administrative channels rather than through unilateral action,” he said in a statement yesterday (Aug 20).
He pointed out that historical records showed Jalan Rantau Panjang and Jalan Batu Kawa Bazaar had been designated as official road reserves and pedestrian walkways since the 1970s, and were not roads recently constructed by the Sarawak government on private land.
He said the association strongly disagreed with and did not support the recent road blockade, stressing that public roads must remain accessible and that land disputes should not be allowed to escalate into incidents that endanger road users or public safety.
Lim also urged police to investigate recent traffic accidents along the affected stretch of road to establish the circumstances surrounding the incidents and determine responsibility.
“The underlying issues concerning the land should be left to the relevant authorities to resolve in accordance with existing laws and administrative procedures,” he said.
He further called on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any action that could disrupt public order or jeopardise public safety.
It is understood that years ago, the government constructed a road and drainage system through what was originally a contiguous parcel of private land to improve access for residents in the Batu Kawa Old Town and Jalan Rantau Panjang areas.
The construction effectively divided the original parcel into two sections, affecting the integrity and use of the land.
Sources said the private land had been used for road purposes for several years. During that period, the landowner lodged numerous complaints, wrote to the relevant authorities and sought assistance, but the matter remained unresolved.
After more than three years of the land being utilised for public road purposes, formal negotiations on land acquisition and compensation have now begun.
The matter is expected to be handled by the relevant agencies in accordance with existing legal and administrative procedures.
The matter had also been raised by Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak as the party urged the government to properly resolve the underlying issue once and for all. — DayakDaily
