Masing: Settle Niah land dispute out of court
by Churchill Edward. Posted on March 1, 2011, Tuesday
KUCHING: The protracted land dispute between land developers and residents of Rumah Ranggong and Belilie in Ulu Niah should be settled out of court.
To determine land ownership would be tedious and long, Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Masing said yesterday when responding to a public query on whether the court is the best venue to settle issues.
Masing, also Baleh assemblyman and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, said he was not against the court or judiciary system resolving disputes.
“Justice is blind. That is why I have faith in our judiciary to impart justice. But it takes time (if through the court). So, wherever possible, settle problems outside the court,” he advised.
The issues in the present Ulu Niah case is such that what was originally thought NCR land by the parties concerned — developers (having 60 per cent equity), residents of the two longhouses (30 per cent) and trustee State Land Development Board (10 per cent) in 2001 — was later found to be state land by the State Land and Survey Department in 2002.
In 2008, the Land Development Ministry declared it state land and this ruling invalidated the joint venture agreement among the three parties, resulting in the longhouse folks losing their stakes in the venture since they never owned the land they used as their injection into it.
On top of that, the developers had already paid the residents upfront money totalling about RM1.2 million in two stages in 2001.
The payment was made in cash to SLDB for the residents of the two longhouses.
Yesterday, Masing said he hoped parties involved in the cases were really willing to solve the issue.
Anembiak Latong Rebak Baru: I don't understand what is JJM try to tell about.Why he said "Justice is blind" ? And why he prefer Ulu Niah resident to settle this case out of the court?
10 years ago
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