DAP has asked the Sarawak government to explain why it is acquiring 162ha of land in Muara Tebas, on the outskirts of Kuching.

Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen demanded to know why the state government was being secretive about the compulsory acquisition.

“The government should tell us its purpose,” during a press conference today, adding that one of the landowners in the area had approached him for assistance.

The landowner alleged the government had failed to notify him of the action, let alone explain why it was taking his 2ha property from him.

“The landowner was not aware of it until he went to the Land and Survey Department to finalise the details of the sale of the land,” Chong told reporters in a press conference at DAP state headquarters in Kuching this morning.

The complete acquisition involves no fewer than 66 landowners.

“No notice was served to them or any of the co-proprietors of the land,” he said.

Chong said under the law, the government is legally obliged to inform landowners when the government issues a compulsory acquisition order.

He said the landowners have been denied “their rights to use, develop or even dispose of the land” for 30 months with no compensation paid, which he said was most unfair and an injustice.

He said the failure to notify contravenes the provisions of the land code “in relation to compulsory acquisition”.

“It also defies the protection provided in the Federal Constitution in respect of the rights of property owners over his property.”

Chong said if the government is serious in acquiring the land, then it should either “promptly proceed with the acquisition and propose the compensation amount payable” or revoke the declaration. – January 26, 2022.