April 9, 2011
By Priscilla Watson
(The story appears in Free Malaysia Today)
BINTULU: Some 640 villagers from Kuala Nyalau and Ulu Nyalau here were awarded RM66.75 million by the Bintulu High Court, bringing to an end a 13-year-long legal battle between them and the state government.
Deputy Registrar of the Miri High Court, Musyiri Peet, arrived yesterday in Bintulu to deliver the ruling in the High Court here.
He also ordered the state government to pay RM200,000 cost and imposed an 8% interest rate per annum effective from 1998 until 2011.
Musyiri, in assessing the damages before awarding the amount to the villagers, said he had taken into consideration various factors like not all teak trees were growing well and that they were not matured yet for harvesting. A legal officer from state attorney-general’s office was also present when the judgment was read out.
Villagers Amit Salleh, BakDrahman, Sapuan Abdullah and Chapon anak Banyai, on behalf of 636 other villagers, had sued the superindent of the Land and Survey Department, Bintulu, the Minister of Planning and Resource Management and the state government of Sarawak for seizing their land.
In their statement of claim, the villagers claimed the government had expropriated 3,022 acres of native customary rights (NCR) land in 1998 for the purpose of constructing an aluminum smelter plant.
The villagers said they were given an alternative site located in Tanjong Panyung, which was swampy and unsuitable for planting.
The villagers were seeking damages of RM101,932,180 being the loss of profit and income purportedly derived from the 713,390 teak trees and 3,000 plus sendang trees which they had planted on the site prior to the seizure by the state.
They won the case in the Bintulu High Court presided by Justice Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the government had appealed the matter before the Appellate Court.
The Appellate Court, however, upheld the High Court’s ruling.
Still disgruntled, the government further appealed the case before Federal Court, but the judgment remained at status quo.
8 comments:
Well deserved fight. Government has wasted our rakyaat money to fight a loosing case.
Am glad it went this way and more on the way for the oustanding morw than 200 cases.
Another golden nail in the coffin for BN before polling day. That's one battle won but the war has yet to be won on polling day. An era of change at the end of the tunnel will be a reality if we, dayaks cast our votes in unison for a new transparent government in the likes of Penang and Selangor.
This is a proof of land grabbing in Sarawak by the state government. Taib cannot deny it. No wonder BN refused to take the challenge to debate with Baru Bian.
A vote for SNAP is a vote to consolidate BN power grip in rural constituencies to further exploit the less educated and marginalised rural poor. Young and educated Dayaks should inform their parents, relatives and rural folks that they should not be confused about Pakatan Rakyat coalition of DAP, PKR and PAS if they want to vote out the corrupted regime of Taib Mahmud and the abusive, repressive, corrupted and oppressive UMNO controlled BN .
Vote only PKR, PAS and DAP in your area. Sarawak4Change. Taib Mahmud must Go.
This proves that BN Swak never take away our lands without compensation.
Be grateful to our govt.Free education for our kids.No need to pay textbooks,no need to pay for meals n lodging at our school hostels.
Free medical treatment at the govt clinics.
I read a real description by a commentator at Sarawak Head hunter Blog on BN Manifesto;
1) Memelihara keamanan, keharmonian, kestabilan dan tadbir urus yang baik untuk Sarawak (INI KERJA POLIS, TENTERA & PEGAWAI KERAJAAN. BUKAN BN PUNYA.)
2) Memelihara alam sekitar, budaya, warisan dan kepercayaan semua kaum (SEE WHAT BN AND TAIB HAVE DONE. FOREST REAPED OFF FOR HIS ILL GOTTEN GAINS)
3) Menyediakan peluang pekerjaan untuk semua (SO MANY DEGREE HOLDERS NO WORKS. BUSINESSMEN SUSAH CARI MAKAN. ALL TAKEN BY CMS, NAIM,HSL, SHINYANG, - FAMILIES & CRONIES)
4) Menjana lebih banyak peluang perniagaan untuk semua (WHERE GOT PELUANG. YOU PUNYA ADIK KAKAK SUDAH SAPU HABIS)
5) Menyediakan peluang pendidikan untuk anak-anak kita (ADA PENDIDIKAN PUN TIDAK GUNA UNDER BN. TIADA KERJA DAN BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES)
6) Menjamin hak rakyat ke atas tanah mereka dipelihara (BANYAK TANAH RAKYAT KENA AMBIL KERAJAAN BN AND TAIP BROTHER, SISTERS, SONS, DAUGHTERS, IN-LAW/OUT LAW, COUSINS, ETC)
7) Meningkatkan mutu dan kualiti hidup golongan yang miskin dan kurang bernasib baik (HI BRO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR LAST 30 YEARS)
8) Memastikan mutu jalan raya, bekalan air dan elektrik, khidmat kesihatan dan perumahan sentiasa dipertingkatkan (MANA ADA DUIT UNTUK BUAT GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE. DUIT SUDAH MASUK POCKET SENDIRI. CONTRACT ALSO GIVEN TO CRONIES AND FAMILIES)
9) Mempunyai rancangan jelas untuk memastikan Sarawak berada di landasan ke arah menjadi negeri terkaya di Malaysia (HA HA HA...YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING FOR LAST 30 YEARS. NOW YOU THINK ABOUT TO ENRICH PEOPLE. FORGETLAH. YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES GET MORE RICHER IF GIVEN ANOTHER 30 YEARS. SARAWAK PUN BOLEH YOU JUAL)
9 intipati manifesto ini diharap akan dapat meyakinkan rakyat Sarawak untuk terus mengekalkan kerajaan Barisan Nasional sebagai kerajaan yang sah! (GUA TIADA YAKIN. GUA TIDAK PERCAYA LAGI. 30 YEARS IS ENOUGH FOR US UNDER TAIB AND HIS BN. CAKAP BANYAK BOHONG. BIKIN SAYA MARAH SAJA)
dont only talk about millions. better tell Dayaks to be consistent - dont jump ship last minutes from PR and DAP.
Teori RAHMAN Perdana Menteri Malaysia;
R= Tun Abd Rahman
A= Tun Abdul Razak
H= Tun Hussein Onn
M= Tun Mahathir
A= Tun Abdullah
N= Bakal Tun Najib
Lepas Teori RAHMAN, Barisan Nasional berkubur
Teori STATE Ketua Menteri Sarawak;
S= Stephen Kalong Ningkan
T= Tawi Sli
A= Abd Rahman
T= Taib Mahmud
E= ????
Mungkinkah E= Era kemusnahan pakatan BN untuk teori RAHMAN bermula di Sarawak?
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