Six longhouses in the Samalatong area, Simunjan, will submit a letter in the next few days to the General Manager of Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) telling him that 95 families from the longhouses will not join DD Plantations and Pelita Holdings.
Instead they want SALCRA to develop their land which is about 1,800 hectares into an oil palm plantation.
A copy of the letter will be sent to Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang as chairman of SALCRA Board of directors and to the Minister of Land Development, Dr. James Jemut Masing. SALCRA is under the Ministry of Land Development.
A group of VIPs and officials from DD Plantations and Pelita Holdings are expected to see these angry NCR land owners on Saturday, 23 May 2009 to explain to them the concept of joint venture and the “benefits” they will get from joining DD Plantations and Pelita Holdings.
It is understood that these landowners will not be swayed by the sweet talks of the VIPs because they have heard and known such JVs the land owners stand to lose and many have not received their dividends even after 10 years of operations.
They would prefer to invite SALCRA where their equity participation is about 70% as compared to 30% in a joint venture company.
On 29 April 2009 DD Plantations whose owner is closely associated with YB Naroden Haji Majais, the Simunjan elected representative, and Pelita Holdings had signed an agreement with 46 longhouse chiefs in Kuching.
But many Tuai Rumah claimed they were not aware of the plan to develop 9,629 hectares of their NCR land into an oil palm plantation.
Some Tuai Rumah who did come to Kuching were critically questioned by the longhouse people; some demanded for their resignation and even held Temenggong Anthony Ngipa responsible for bringing the Tuai Rumah to Kuching.
Instead they want SALCRA to develop their land which is about 1,800 hectares into an oil palm plantation.
A copy of the letter will be sent to Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang as chairman of SALCRA Board of directors and to the Minister of Land Development, Dr. James Jemut Masing. SALCRA is under the Ministry of Land Development.
A group of VIPs and officials from DD Plantations and Pelita Holdings are expected to see these angry NCR land owners on Saturday, 23 May 2009 to explain to them the concept of joint venture and the “benefits” they will get from joining DD Plantations and Pelita Holdings.
It is understood that these landowners will not be swayed by the sweet talks of the VIPs because they have heard and known such JVs the land owners stand to lose and many have not received their dividends even after 10 years of operations.
They would prefer to invite SALCRA where their equity participation is about 70% as compared to 30% in a joint venture company.
On 29 April 2009 DD Plantations whose owner is closely associated with YB Naroden Haji Majais, the Simunjan elected representative, and Pelita Holdings had signed an agreement with 46 longhouse chiefs in Kuching.
But many Tuai Rumah claimed they were not aware of the plan to develop 9,629 hectares of their NCR land into an oil palm plantation.
Some Tuai Rumah who did come to Kuching were critically questioned by the longhouse people; some demanded for their resignation and even held Temenggong Anthony Ngipa responsible for bringing the Tuai Rumah to Kuching.
For the six Tuai Rumah and the 95 heads of families will have to seek legal action if the company persists on developing their land. - The Broken Shield
Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com
