SABAH Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal does not want government-linked firms to fight with the people for land.

He said he had come across many such cases in Sabah but said this would now change as the government was serious about giving land to the people.

“I have already spoken to State Secretary Hasim Paijan to talk to the GLCs about this,” Shafie said at the launch of the 2018 Sabah Forest Policy, in Sandakan, today. 

“I don’t want GLCs to fight with villagers over land.”

Shafie said he knew of cases of residents of century-old village settlements who became squatters overnight when the previous government decided to gazette their land as reserve or give it to the GLCs for development.

He said in such cases, the residents should rightfully be compensated but that would be “very, very costly”. 

“I am not talking about relocating a few, but hundreds or perhaps thousands of people who have lived there for generations. 

“instead of them moving out, why not the GLC move and we compensate it with land?“

Sabah has seen various land grab cases involving indigenous people under the old Barisan Nasional government. 

Land grabs were especially  rampant in Kota Marudu, Ranau and Lahad Datu. 

It’s worse when the GLCs drag the villagers to court, said Shafie.

He said this was not the right way to govern and the state must have clear policies and system to prevent such problems.

However, he said there was no longer any need for the GLCs to drag the villagers to court as “I am now the chief minister and my position is that the needs of the Sabahan people must not come second.”

“Im sure there are ways to resolve these disputes. – December 3, 2018.