Rusidi (centre) with members of the Kampung Labuan Villagers Association.
KOTA BELUD: More than 1,000 residents here in Kampung Labuan have urged Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to put a stop to a proposed large-scale project on a reserve land in Kuala Pintasan.
It is learnt that the fisheries farm and eco-resort project is expected to stretch up to 364 hectares.
Kampung Labuan Villagers Association chairman Rusidi Merjin claimed that the reserve land title was transferred to a company owned by a non-bumiputra, without their knowledge.
He disclosed that the ground breaking ceremony for the project is expected to take place on May 29.
“We want the Chief Minister to hear our plea to stop the company from taking over and developing the land which belongs to us.
“Our villagers have been raising animals such as cows and buffaloes here but the land ownership was suddenly transferred to a non-bumiputra company,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Rusidi said that the association is demanding the company to cancel the plan.
He stressed that the company should return the ownership of the land to the villagers, who are the rightful owners.
He opined that the state government should resolve this land grab issue by promptly approving the land grants for the villagers.
It is understood that the North Borneo Government gifted the land to the villagers of Kampung Labuan back in 1956. This was then recognised by the state government of Sabah after Malaysia was formed on September 16, 1963.
On May 11, Rusidi had lodged a police report at the Kota Belud police headquarters and demanded an investigation on the alleged land grab.
He was shocked to find that almost the entire land was transferred to a private company and an individual.
Rusidi further disclosed that the company is based in Tuaran, specialising in agriculture, fisheries and hunting sector. He claimed that the company did not even discuss the land grab issue with the villagers.
This was not the first time that the villagers had to fight for their land. In June 2009, the villagers held a peaceful demonstration to protest against a proposed agropolitan project on their land.
The peaceful protest led to the cancellation of the project by the then state government.