Two non-governmental organisations have slammed Assistant Minister for Public Health and Utilities Stephen Rundi for discouraging the natives from exercising their legal rights by taking their native customary rights (NCR) land disputes to court.
“The statement from Rundi shows how the state government under the current Barisan Nasional regime is not sincere about respecting and recognising the natives’ right to their customary land and resources and continue to make statements aimed to confuse the natives for their own selfish political agenda,” said Romuald Siew, president of Sarawak Native Customary Land Rights Network (Tahabas).
He was commenting on the statement by Rundi, who is the state assemblyman for Kemena that the best and the most effective way for the locals to claim Native customary rights (NCR) land is by submitting their applications to the government.
“Doing it through the courts would only benefit the lawyers,” he said, pointing out that he does not deny that the natives have rights to use the legal channels.
“But the best solution, which involves only a minimal cost would be to apply to the government,” Rundi said.
Responding to this, Siew said: “The natives have tried time and time again to get the government to recognise and respect our NCR, but most of the time the government could not be bothered.
“We have tried all the possible official channels including writing numerous letters, petitions and memorandums to get the state government to solve our land disputes and to get recognition and respect for our NCR.
"Some communities even did direct actions such as erecting blockades on their land or demonstrating peacefully, but until today, the government either ignores us or dismisses our claims,” said Siew.
“Now, where can the poor community seek redress for their NCR land problems? Of course, they have no choice but to engage a lawyer in order to seek redress through the legal channel.
“It is time consuming and costly for the natives, but what choice do they have when the government not only refuses to entertain their claims but keeps on arbitrarily issuing provisional leases to the big companies over their NCR land,” lamented Siew.
The Tahabas president said: “If the government is sincere, as a start Rundi should first look at the document titled, ‘Composite Plan Showing Distribution of Farming Land in Suai-Niah-Sibuti’ and use that as a reference to gazette the communal land boundaries of NCR areas in the Suai-Niah-Sibuti areas.”
Mark Bujang, Executive Director of Borneo Resources Institute (BRIMAS), pointed out that in the Baram District, the Brooke and British Colonial Administrations had recorded the communal land boundary of the NCR lands of the longhouses there in the ‘Register of Land Boundaries’ kept in the District Office, Marudi until today.
Mark also echoed the sentiments of TAHABAS to urge the government to also gazette the communal land boundaries immediately based on the records in the Register.
“As for areas where the communal land boundaries are yet to be recorded, the government should make its own efforts to go to the ground and assist the natives to record and gazette their boundaries,” said Mark.
Mark added: “Since the Courts have already decided that the communal land boundary of the NCR lands of the natives is based on or defined by the ‘antara’ or ‘garis menoa’ of their longhouses, the government should therefore comply with the said decisions by the Courts and immediately conduct joint ground surveys with the natives to identify and then gazette the communal land boundary of their longhouses.”
Can the government be charged for contempt of court when it (the government) refuses to comply with the court decisions? – The Broken Shield.
“The statement from Rundi shows how the state government under the current Barisan Nasional regime is not sincere about respecting and recognising the natives’ right to their customary land and resources and continue to make statements aimed to confuse the natives for their own selfish political agenda,” said Romuald Siew, president of Sarawak Native Customary Land Rights Network (Tahabas).
He was commenting on the statement by Rundi, who is the state assemblyman for Kemena that the best and the most effective way for the locals to claim Native customary rights (NCR) land is by submitting their applications to the government.
“Doing it through the courts would only benefit the lawyers,” he said, pointing out that he does not deny that the natives have rights to use the legal channels.
“But the best solution, which involves only a minimal cost would be to apply to the government,” Rundi said.
Responding to this, Siew said: “The natives have tried time and time again to get the government to recognise and respect our NCR, but most of the time the government could not be bothered.
“We have tried all the possible official channels including writing numerous letters, petitions and memorandums to get the state government to solve our land disputes and to get recognition and respect for our NCR.
"Some communities even did direct actions such as erecting blockades on their land or demonstrating peacefully, but until today, the government either ignores us or dismisses our claims,” said Siew.
“Now, where can the poor community seek redress for their NCR land problems? Of course, they have no choice but to engage a lawyer in order to seek redress through the legal channel.
“It is time consuming and costly for the natives, but what choice do they have when the government not only refuses to entertain their claims but keeps on arbitrarily issuing provisional leases to the big companies over their NCR land,” lamented Siew.
The Tahabas president said: “If the government is sincere, as a start Rundi should first look at the document titled, ‘Composite Plan Showing Distribution of Farming Land in Suai-Niah-Sibuti’ and use that as a reference to gazette the communal land boundaries of NCR areas in the Suai-Niah-Sibuti areas.”
Mark Bujang, Executive Director of Borneo Resources Institute (BRIMAS), pointed out that in the Baram District, the Brooke and British Colonial Administrations had recorded the communal land boundary of the NCR lands of the longhouses there in the ‘Register of Land Boundaries’ kept in the District Office, Marudi until today.
Mark also echoed the sentiments of TAHABAS to urge the government to also gazette the communal land boundaries immediately based on the records in the Register.
“As for areas where the communal land boundaries are yet to be recorded, the government should make its own efforts to go to the ground and assist the natives to record and gazette their boundaries,” said Mark.
Mark added: “Since the Courts have already decided that the communal land boundary of the NCR lands of the natives is based on or defined by the ‘antara’ or ‘garis menoa’ of their longhouses, the government should therefore comply with the said decisions by the Courts and immediately conduct joint ground surveys with the natives to identify and then gazette the communal land boundary of their longhouses.”
Can the government be charged for contempt of court when it (the government) refuses to comply with the court decisions? – The Broken Shield.
10 comments:
This assistant minister Stephen Rundi is either born so naive, "stupid" or engrained with the mentality of "apai paloi". His head is still buried in the mud brought down by the logjam. A case of another exhibition of an ignorant minister with IQ below par! He needs to get it into his head that the reality is, we natives have applied to the authorities in the likes of the District Offices, Lands and Suvey departments in getting recognition over our NCR lands to no avail. Our two gererations of grandfathers went through these so called process as loud mouthed by Stephen. To date this matter is still outstanding gathering dusts even though our grandfathers and their grandfathers are long gone.
Maybe Stephen Rundi would like to tell us how many more future generations would we have to wait before we eventually get an answer? We have had enough of this waiting game! Taking legal action has always been the last resort. Court action is always better than no-action by the government.
Who creates this problem? None other than Stephen and his BN dayak cronies who's interests are linning their own pockets rather than helping their own dayak community. Instead of waiting, we Dayaks, need to unite as one to replace them in the next election to expedite our NCR claim!!
YB Stephen Rundi,
There are about 200 NCR land claims still pending court case. In this respect, will you advice the landowners concerned to withdraw their civil suits against the government, but to submit their NCR land claims to the government. Will you guarantee them to get back their NCR?
Rundi is a compulsive liar and who will lie for Taib Mahmud and his family. Rundi has sold his soul to Taib and is treating the Dayaks including his relatives as pathetic fools for going against Taib Mahmud.
Rundi must be shown the exit and make to eat humble pie by returning to his professional practise.
All the BN Dayak Ministers and politician are having the same attitude and stupid mentality as Rundi,s. Rundi is not qualified to be a good politician, why not go back to his clinic in Bintulu and lock himself there
A Message To All Ordinary and Working Class Malaysians which unfortunately forms 90% of our population.
”Life’s tough … it can ONLY gets even tougher if you choose to be stupid enough to vote for UMNO controlled..CORRUPTED..BN government.
Get out of our ruts and change ourselves by voting for CHANGE. Vote for a Corrupt Free and Prosperous Malaysia. Vote out our own stupidity and vote out UMNO controlled BN .
Vote Pakatan.
I was just an office boy with the Land and Survey Department before, but my superiors and staff mates never labeled me as stupid and a liar.
I really pity Dr. Rundi who is labeled as stupid and liar by the commentators here. No joke, he is a qualified medical officer, not like Dr. Katak Rayong.
Rundi is Jabu-in-waiting. so dont expect much from him.
What do you say of this extract:
Budget: Paltry sum for Sabah and Sarawak (18.10.2010)
Despite the vast contributions Sabah and Sarawak make to the national economy, the federal government's "petty" allocation of only RM9.55 billion for development projects in the two states is unjustified, opposition parliamentarian Tony Pua says.
What would you say; RM5bil for a stupid 100 storey tower vs RM9.5bil for 2 entire states? How stupid!
Since Mahatir’s time, you become a fixed deposit to be forgotten except when interest is due.
Despite all these, the voters of Sarawak and Sabah WILL still vote BN to power. They deserve what they experience now, thanks to their stupity.
Stehen Rundi or Jabu Makes no difference as both are from PBB=Parti Big Bully,at least during Taib's time,don't know in the future.Jabu,Rundi,masing or mawan,and of course most of our Iban BN YBs are birds of the same feathers.Flock together in politics for self glory at the expense of their own people.When it comes to lying to the community,they are number one and when it comes to help,guide and fight for the community,they are still number one,most silent and coward of course.OK Rundi,see what will you do once these NCR landowners write to you for the land ownership;whether you got gun or just shrinking balls.
Rundi the Gundi Man!!! Saya sumpah kamu jadi bot express kasi ganti yang pecah eksiden hari tu!!! ada jugak faedah!!!
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