SAPP launches Sabah Land Reforms

By Datuk Yong Teck Lee

The native peoples of Sabah are increasingly losing their cultural heritage and space as a result of land alienation to government agencies and big companies and the history of sale of NT lands by earlier generations of native land owners to private companies.

This crisis has been severely compounded by the many instances of land grabs by big companies with strong connections to the ruling politicians, incompetence and possible fraud on the part of land officers and a "don't care attitude of their elected representatives". Villagers are being forcibly evicted from forest reserves even though the law provides for the enhancement of traditional villages as "forest communities" with forest reserves. Some villages have even been in existence before the gazetting of the forest reserves.

This displacement of natives from their rural lands will cause geographical dislocation among natives and make them squatters in their own ancestral land, leading to the inevitable social instability and socio-economic problems for future generations of all Sabahans. The massive loss of land is a problem not confined to only natives. Other Sabahans are rapidly losing their homesteads and agricultural lands. Urban Sabahans can no longer afford a landed house. Sabahans are fast becoming tenants in their own State. The fear of being unable to obtain a renewal of their expiring land leases is a real and depressing intimidation caused by the failure of the government to renew land leases.

SAPP reaffirms Article 4 of the Party Constitution which is "to promote and protect the rights and interests of local natives and other citizens in Sabah". SAPP as a people-based political party desires to fulfill its mission to establish a trustworthy government and a progressive, just and harmonious society. These land reforms policies are our firm commitment to the people that, as a government, we shall steadfastly implement.

It is on the basis of the above that SAPP has been working very hard, for two years, to formulate these land reform policies which we wish to highlight the plight of the victims of land grabs and other injustices.

SABAH LAND REFORMS BY SAPP

1. NATIVE RIGHTS
Indigenous lands in perpetuity
Indigenous ancestral lands shall be vested in perpetuity collectively to the community and managed in accordance with native customs. Such land may not be sold or transferred or charged for any purpose that may lead to it losing ownership.

2. LAND FRAUD
Redress for fraudulent loss of NCRs
Lands in rural areas which have been fraudulently issued land titles to private companies or individuals against proven NCRs shall be recovered by the State Government and be returned to the original NCR owners; with compensation to the legitimate CL registered owners as required under the Federal Constitution; investigations and criminal proceedings shall be instituted against persons involved in the fraudulent processing, approval and issuance of land titles.

3. SCHEMES FOR SMALL FARMERS
Small holders scheme for all. Land schemes for small holders in various parts of Sabah shall be opened for settlement, cultivation and development by genuine local Malaysians in Sabah/Labuan, whether born or permanently resident in Sabah/Labuan

4. LAND FOR THE NATIVE PEOPLE
Land for Sabahans. No more land approvals to non-local companies for agricultural lands. Agricultural lands may only be approved and alienated to local Malaysians.

5. DEVELOPMENT OF LAND FOR COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND HOUSING
Land as an economic resource
Approvals and all dealings on commercial, industrial and residential lands are encouraged so as to promote the people’s economic advancement. Urban commercial land shall be auctioned in accordance with proper procedures in order to maximise revenues to the State Government.

LAND TITLE/LEASE RENEWAL
Security of land tenure.
Applications to renew land leases in urban and rural areas will be approved as soon as possible without reducing the original lease tenure. Applications to extend the existing land lease tenure from 99 years to 999 years shall be allowed.

7. FOREST LAND
Forest community villages.
Traditional villages within forest reserves shall be enhanced as traditional villages (community forests) and managed under native customs; and all Forest Management Plans (FMPs) shall take into the account these villages and their future expansion and progress.

8. BURIAL AREA
Burial lands
Land gazetted as burial reserve land and native village cemetery must be maintained according to traditions and customs

9. GRAZING RESERVES
Grazing Reserves
Gazetted land as grazing reserves land bank shall be maintained so that local people can continue working in accordance with the original objectives

10. COMMUNITY TITLE
Communal Titles
Agricultural lands and settlements, especially communal titles, will be reviewed with a view to issue Native Titles (NTs) to local natives in the area concerned.

11. GOVERNMENT LAND
Lands that have been and are being used by government agencies will be reviewed to ensure that their intended uses truly benefit the people of Sabah.

URBAN LAND

Villages within urban areas
Existing villages in the urban areas with TL and CL land leases will be maintained as villages. Village development will be updated to suit current conditions.

13. FELDA LANDS

FELDA lands in Lahad Datu and Tawau shall be returned to its original purpose, which is for settlers, including second and third generation settlers.

14. LAND ADMINISTRATION IMPROVEMENTS AND UPDATING

Existing land administration will be studied in detail. Actions will be taken to ensure that land applications and issuance of land titles shall be expedited.

Dalam Bahasa Malaysia

DASAR REFOMASI TANHAH OLEH SAPP

1. HAK ASASI ANAK NEGERI
Tanah pusaka anak negeri mesti dikembalikan kuasa mutlak dan berkekalan kepada anak negeri dan pengurusannya hendaklah mengikut adat istiadat anak negeri.Tanah-tanah yang berkenaan tidak boleh dijual, dipindah milik kecuali kepada ahli keluarga, atau dilakukan sebarang cagaran dengan tujuan menjurus kepada kehilangan pemilikan seseorang anak negeri.

2. KEHILANGAN HAK ASASI TANAH DISEBABKAN PENIPUAN YANG BERLELUASA
Tanah-tanah yang bergeran CL dikawasan luar bandar yang telah dikeluarkan geran secara penipuan atau penyelewengan kepada syarikat atau perseorangan yang bertentangan dengan asas-asas mengikut hak asasi anak negeri akan diambil kembali dengan tujuan mengembalikannya kepada penduduk asal hak asasi tanah/ kawasan tersebut. Apa juga bentuk penyelesaian di dalam perkara ini akan mengambil kira kedudukan pemilik CL yang berdaftar dan sah mengikut Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Semua arahan untuk memindahkan mereka yang terlibat akan dibekukan sehingga satu penyelesaian tercapai. Tindakan undang-undang akan diambil terhadap mereka yang terlibat di dalam aktiviti-aktiviti penyelewengan ini.

3. SKIM TANAH PENEMPATAN PEKEBUN KECIL UNTUK SEMUA
Skim-skim tanah bagi pekebun kecil diseluruh pelusuk Negeri Sabah akan terus diusahakan bagi penempatan, aktiviti-aktiviti pertanian dan pembangunan oleh rakyat tempatan Sabah/ Labuan sama ada lahir atau bermastautin tetap di Sabah/ Labuan.

4. TANAH BAGI RAKYAT TEMPATAN SABAH
Tiada lagi kelulusan permohonan bagi tanah oleh syarikat atau perseorangan bagi maksud pertanian yang dibuat oleh mereka yang bukan rakyat tempatan. Tanah-tanah pertanian akan hanya diberikan kelulusan kepada rakyat Malaysia tempatan Negeri Sabah.

5. TANAH-TANAH UNTUK PEMBANGUNAN KOMERSIAL, PERINDUSTRIAN DAN PERUMAHAN
Kelulusan dan semua urusan bagi tanah-tanah komersial, perindustrian dan perumahan akan diberikan keutamaan dan galakan kepada pelabur rakyat tempatan. Tanah-tanah yang bernilai komersial di kawasan bandar akan dilelong mengikut peraturan biasa bagi tujuan memaksimakan pendapatan kerjaan negeri.

PERMOHONAN PEMBAHARUAN TANAH BERGERAN 99
DAN 999 TAHUN (APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL OF
LEASE)

Permohonan untuk memperbaharui tanah-tanah yang luput masanya dikawasan Bandar dan luar Bandar akan diluluskan dengan segera tanpa mengurangkan tempoh masa asalnya. Permohonan untuk memanjangkan masa luput satu-satu geran daripada 99 tahun kepada 999 tahun boleh diluluskan.

7. KAWASAN PERKAMPUNGAN DIDALAM TANAH SIMPANAN
PERHUTANAN
Kampung-kampung tradisi di dalam tanah simpanan perhutanan akan mengikut adat istiadat dan budaya kampung tersebut. Semua pengurusan perancangan pembangunan perhutanan dibawa Jabatan Perhutanan akan mengambil kira terhadap kampung-kampung yang sedia ada serta perkembangan dan kemajuan yang akan datang.

8. TANAH SIMPANAN PERKAMPUNGAN DAN PERKUBURAN
Tanah-tanah yang diwartakan sebagai tanah simpanan perkampungan anak negeri serta tanah perkuburan mesti dikekalkan sebagai mana yangdiwartakan, agar kebudayaan tradisi serta adat istiadat mereka tetap dapat dijaga dan dipelihara.

9. TANAH SIMPANAN RAGUT (GRAZING RESERVE)
Tanah-tanah yang diwartakan sebagai tanah simpanan padang ragut akan diteruskan agar rakyat tempatan dapat terus mengusahakannya sesuai dengan matlamat asal.

10. GERAN KOMUNITI (COMMUNAL TITLE)
Tanah-tanah pertanian serta penempatan khasnya yang bergeran komuniti (communal title) akan dikaji semula untuk pemberian geran NTkepada rakyat tempatan.

11. KAWASAN TANAH-TANAH MILIK KERAJAAN
Tanah-tanah yang telah dan sedang diusahakan oleh agensi-agensi kerajaan akan dikaji semula untukmemastikan bahawa apa juga perancangan yang telah ditetapkan benar-benar membawa faedah kepada rakyat Sabah.

TANAH-TANAH KAWASAN PERKAMPUNGAN
DIDALAM BANDAR

Tanah-tanah perkampungan yang sedia ada dikawasan Bandar yang bergeran TL (Town Lease) dan CL (Country Lease) akan dikekalkan sebagai kawasan perkampungan. Ianya akan dikemaskini sesuai dengan keadaan semasa pada ketika itu.

13. KAWASAN FELDA

Kawasan Felda di Lahad Datu dan di Tawau akan dikembalikan kepada tujuan asalnya iaitu untuk peneroka, termasuklah generasi kedua, ketiga, dan seterusnya bagi peneroka yang ada sekarang.

14. MEMPERBAIKI DAN MENGEMASKINI
PENTADBIRANTANAH

Sistem pentadbiran tanah yang sedia ada akan dikaji secara terperinci. Tindakan akan diambil agar setiap permohonan dan pengeluaran geran akan dipercepatkan.