PENAMPANG: The Sabah government is urged to create a new policy that would assist native landowners.
Sabah Native Landowners and Developers Association (Sanloda) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Clarence B. Malakun explained that the policy would be able to steer and aid landowners who want to develop their Native Title lands, including idle lands.
He hoped that the State government would consider the proposal and come up with the policy that would help the plight of the owners of native titled lands.
He added that the policy should be an encouragement for the landowners to develop their idle lands and improve their living standard.
“There are many idle NT (Native Titled) lands involving thousands of acres throughout the whole of Sabah which the landowners or their beneficiaries did not work on to develop those lands,” he said.
He added that some complained about not having the money to develop their idled NT lands since many commercial banks reject NT lands to be used as collateral for loans.
Speaking at the webinar on sustainable agriculture based on community involvement recently, Clarence also said that with the policy, native landowners will be guided on how to maximise their idle land potential and generate income and contribute to the State’s economy growth.
At the same time, he said that NT lands in Sabah would also receive recognition and protection from unscrupulous parties who may want to take advantage of the loopholes in the existing law and abuse the lands for their own personal gains, he said.
Also present at the webinar was organizing chairman Datuk Stephen L. Sondoh.