Prices of palm oil which is one of the principal exports from Malaysia have dropped sharply from RM4,330 a tonne to RM1,460 a tonne. Crude palm oil (CPO) futures prices on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad were down for the third straight day amid growing pessimism over the global economic outlook this week.
Reports say that global financial problems and uncertainties over the economic climate was dampening demand and keeping buyers away. Many importers had opted to default on their contracts as the prices of CPO had dropped sharply and banks importing countries are more cautious in extending credit facilities.
Hence some importers of the commodity faced difficulties obtaining credit line from their banks, thus they cannot open LCs.
“If the prices continue to drop below RM1,300 a tonne, many planters will suffer heavy losses and may ‘ngiling their tikai’ (roll their mats),” says an economist.
In Sarawak, some two million hectares of lands have been approved for oil palm plantations, the bulks of these lands are Native Customary Rights (NCR) land which has been seized from the natives.
While the State government and big oil palm estate planters are having sleepless nights over the down trend of prices of CPO, the native land owners are jumping with joy and even consider it as “divine intervention”.
“God knows how to stop these big companies from further taking away our NCR land and destroying flora and fauna. It is one way God stops them from destroying His creations,” said an NCR land owner, hoping that many of them would abandon their estates.
Since the amendments to the Land Code in May 2000, the owners of the NCR land have been having not only nightmares, but have also been criminalized for owning the land; many have been jailed in defending their ancestral lands and many have taken the government to courts.
But taking the government to courts is very expensive affair. First, the landowners have to deposit RM10,000 to the court. Second, they have to come up with the legal fees (fortunately a few of the lawyers do not ask for legal fees.) Third, the burden of proof is on the landowners. The only ones who can help the landowners with the proof are the headmen, and community leaders, but here again the government has already warned them not to be witnesses.
Using private surveyors to survey their land with the aim of providing the proof is not allowed after the government passed amendments to the Land Surveyors Ordinance in 2001 which essentially remove the ability of natives to prove the extent of land on which they exercise NCR via increasingly popular communal effort – the community mapping.
It is obvious that the land owners have to pass so many hurdles, legal or otherwise, to prove that their lands belong to them. And as they are helpless, God has mercy on them and hears their prayers. Praise is to the Lord my God. Amen.
Reports say that global financial problems and uncertainties over the economic climate was dampening demand and keeping buyers away. Many importers had opted to default on their contracts as the prices of CPO had dropped sharply and banks importing countries are more cautious in extending credit facilities.
Hence some importers of the commodity faced difficulties obtaining credit line from their banks, thus they cannot open LCs.
“If the prices continue to drop below RM1,300 a tonne, many planters will suffer heavy losses and may ‘ngiling their tikai’ (roll their mats),” says an economist.
In Sarawak, some two million hectares of lands have been approved for oil palm plantations, the bulks of these lands are Native Customary Rights (NCR) land which has been seized from the natives.
While the State government and big oil palm estate planters are having sleepless nights over the down trend of prices of CPO, the native land owners are jumping with joy and even consider it as “divine intervention”.
“God knows how to stop these big companies from further taking away our NCR land and destroying flora and fauna. It is one way God stops them from destroying His creations,” said an NCR land owner, hoping that many of them would abandon their estates.
Since the amendments to the Land Code in May 2000, the owners of the NCR land have been having not only nightmares, but have also been criminalized for owning the land; many have been jailed in defending their ancestral lands and many have taken the government to courts.
But taking the government to courts is very expensive affair. First, the landowners have to deposit RM10,000 to the court. Second, they have to come up with the legal fees (fortunately a few of the lawyers do not ask for legal fees.) Third, the burden of proof is on the landowners. The only ones who can help the landowners with the proof are the headmen, and community leaders, but here again the government has already warned them not to be witnesses.
Using private surveyors to survey their land with the aim of providing the proof is not allowed after the government passed amendments to the Land Surveyors Ordinance in 2001 which essentially remove the ability of natives to prove the extent of land on which they exercise NCR via increasingly popular communal effort – the community mapping.
It is obvious that the land owners have to pass so many hurdles, legal or otherwise, to prove that their lands belong to them. And as they are helpless, God has mercy on them and hears their prayers. Praise is to the Lord my God. Amen.
11 comments:
I pray all the oil palm companies collapse and these foreigners pack their bag and piss off.The monkeys,birds and other wife life will be celebrating with their departure.The penans will be jumping up into the air with joy.
God is great and will punish those who took away our lands,suppress us and rape us.
Let God punish this bastards till they are in the deepest hell.
Laban sida tulah jang, CPO will be 300 rm per ton.Its the attack by the greenies, EU and RSPO,for unsustainable practices.Not to say the robbery of our NCR.
I heard very demaging statement on NCR Land made by Len Saleh when he was interviewed during "Edisi Siasat" on land development in Sarawak.
The program was aired by NTV7 but it was in Mandarin. Len Saleh was claimed to have said that there is no such thing as NCR Land. Check with your source?
Thanks for sharing,
May I add for our Dayaks:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Politic of development, politic of development..! Hei dayak...don't miss this golden opportunity - the politic of development. Develop your NCR land in the name of politic of development. We reaped the PROFIT and you dayak only get the BENEFIT. Politic of development..!! Politic of development...!!!
Re your article 'Divine intervention of NCR land development' all signs indicate that things are getting worst before they get better.Rpie fruits are rotting on the trees, mills are closing down, CPO prices are going to continue to tumble.
Let's celebrate, let's Gawai: Theoil palm industry must re brand and reinvent if it wants to survive.
Celebrant
I call on all Dayaks whose NCR lands have been stolen from right under their nose to hold a state-wide celebration from Lundu to Limbang and let's pray for the demise of the people's-land-snatchers plantation leaseholders, mill owners and Taib;s family members , the greatest beneficiaries.
I can appreciate the main point that falling prices will slow the scandalous land rush and save many from expropriation (though I don't see what God has got to do with it). But there are also many Dayak smallholders who have been investing in oil palm, as well as those whose land is now in SALCRA or Konsep Baru schemes. Regardless of whether this was a good idea in the first place, declining prices can only mean they are now worse off. Of course, SALCRA participants at least have some alternatives, whereas Konsep Baru participants such as in the Kanowit Scheme are done for. It is a great shame their leaders did not listen to their concerns at the outset instead of castigating them for being anti-development.
Neil, they are not foreigners but your fellow countrymen who are responsible for wall-to-wall oil palm in Sarawak.
Area planted with oil palm by sector in Sarawak 2007
1.goverment agencies tru
a)salcra 47, 933 ha
b)felcra 31,723 ha
c)Felda7,680 ha
2.NCR New Concept 38,805 ha
3. smallholder 29,1999 ha
So, what's wrong about this? At least can help bumiputera including the Malay/chinese as a small holder. Not all chinese an malay are rich. Not all Melanau rich. What happen if oil palm companies collapse as NEIL said? All penanam kecil under Felcra, felda, iban people under NCR new concept also will suffer.
The phrase: “Divine Intervention” happens to remind me of the 6th Principle ( i.e Divine Intervention) as explained by Dato’ Seri Idris Jala in his address during the DCCI Dinner held in 7th November 2008 in Kuching.
He was sharing his personal experiences while serving in Shell (over 20 years) and during his current apointment as MAS Chief Executive with regard to the subject matter of Turning Around Debt-ridden Companies Into Profitable Ones.
Christians’ “Life Manual” is the Bible. It says in the book of Proverbs 16:2 &3 :
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight. But the Lord weighs the motives.
Commit your works to the Lord, And your plan will be established.”
“The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know over what they stumble.” (Prov. 4 :19 ) and “ He who trusts in his riches will fall ..” (Prov.12 28).
This is not to say that global economic market forces don’t influence prices of commodities like CPO for example.
Nonetheless, it is not far fetch to say that HUMAN GREEDS are also the main underlying causes of human sufferings.
- Ezra Malek.-
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