Intimidated by thugs, Iban villagers now 'aggressors'
Published: Feb 22, 2011 6:09 AM | Updated: Feb 22, 2011 8:06 AM
They face eviction from what they claim is native customary land, stand accused of reneging on a development agreement, and were recently visited by 100 aggressive looking ‘security personnel’ armed with machetes and explosives.
They face eviction from what they claim is their native customary land (NCR), stand accused of reneging on a development agreement, and were recently visited by 100 aggressive looking ‘security personnel’ armed with machetes and explosives.
Now, the residents of Rumah Ranggong in Miri are scratching their hands in wonder over a newspaper report that had portrayed them as the aggressors and accused them of stealing tractors belonging to a private developer.
If that were not enough, the police - who the villagers had approached for protection - were reported by the Borneo Post to have moved to diffuse the “stand off” between the Iban natives of Rumah Ranggong and the security personnel of the private company.
“We never seized any tractors nor threatened the company,” said Changgai Dali, chairperson of the Rumah Ranggong village security and development committee in a press release by non-governmental organisation Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (Brimas).
“It is the company that brought along gangsters fully armed with machetes (left) and explosives (below) to intimidate and threatened our longhouse people,” he added.
BLD Resources had set up a joint-venture with the Sarawak Land Development Board to develop a plantation in the Ulu Niah area, while a MoU was signed by a BLD Resources sister company, SLDB, and the residents of Rumah Belili and Rumah Ranggong to develop a joint-venture project called ‘Konsep Baru’.
That MoU was eventually cancelled in 2008 when the Sarawak government said it had made a mistake in classifying the land under NCR.
That same year, BLD Resources lodged a police report that led to trespass charges filed against Changgai and several other residents.
The Rumah Ranggong residents have since filed a suit over dissatisfaction with claims by BLD Resources that it holds a provisional lease on the disputed land, saying the state government had acknowledged the land as NCR.
The residents have also barred the company from their land for failing to fulfil its promise of helping develop the land.
Following this, the residents claim, BLD Resources last week sent about 100 gangsters, who set up camp on the boundary of their land.
Fearing for their safety, a few longhouse residents reported the incident to the Batu Niah police station, which later sent a group of officers over to arrest (left) the gangsters' leader and order the others to disperse.
During the arrest, police also confiscated a few boxes containing machetes and explosives.
The subsequent newspaper reports, however, have portrayed the reverse of developments as seen by the residents.
According to the Brimas press release, the report had also “lied” when it said that the Rumah Ranggong residents had, through their trustees, signed in July 2009 an agreement of indemnity with BLD for 30 percent equity in the project.
To the contrary, said Brimas, the joint-venture agreement (JVA) between BLD, Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB) and the residents of Rumah Ranggong and neighboring Rumah Belilie was signed in February 2001.
On Feb 2, the Borneo Post under the headline “Police to take action over alleged threat” reported that the residents had threatened to use force against BLD’s workers, which led the company to ‘beef up’ its ‘security’.
Changgai said the story needs to be corrected, as the Deed of Rescission between SLDB and BLD was signed in Oct 2008 without the residents’ knowledge to rescind the JVA due to the state government’s “mistake” in declaring the land as under NCR.
“Because of this I was sued by BLD for trespassing in my own land and that triggered our land dispute, on which we filed a counter-suit that is now being tried before the High Court in Kuching.
“Last year, we wrote a letter to BLD to demand our land back and also to settle our long overdue dividends from the project, but we received no response and that is when we decided to erect our blockade in January this year,” explained Changgai.
The neighbouring residents of Rumah Belilie also erected a blockade to protest against BLD.
Now, the residents of Rumah Ranggong in Miri are scratching their hands in wonder over a newspaper report that had portrayed them as the aggressors and accused them of stealing tractors belonging to a private developer.If that were not enough, the police - who the villagers had approached for protection - were reported by the Borneo Post to have moved to diffuse the “stand off” between the Iban natives of Rumah Ranggong and the security personnel of the private company.
“We never seized any tractors nor threatened the company,” said Changgai Dali, chairperson of the Rumah Ranggong village security and development committee in a press release by non-governmental organisation Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (Brimas).
“It is the company that brought along gangsters fully armed with machetes (left) and explosives (below) to intimidate and threatened our longhouse people,” he added.BLD Resources had set up a joint-venture with the Sarawak Land Development Board to develop a plantation in the Ulu Niah area, while a MoU was signed by a BLD Resources sister company, SLDB, and the residents of Rumah Belili and Rumah Ranggong to develop a joint-venture project called ‘Konsep Baru’.
That MoU was eventually cancelled in 2008 when the Sarawak government said it had made a mistake in classifying the land under NCR.That same year, BLD Resources lodged a police report that led to trespass charges filed against Changgai and several other residents.
The Rumah Ranggong residents have since filed a suit over dissatisfaction with claims by BLD Resources that it holds a provisional lease on the disputed land, saying the state government had acknowledged the land as NCR.
The residents have also barred the company from their land for failing to fulfil its promise of helping develop the land.
Following this, the residents claim, BLD Resources last week sent about 100 gangsters, who set up camp on the boundary of their land.
Fearing for their safety, a few longhouse residents reported the incident to the Batu Niah police station, which later sent a group of officers over to arrest (left) the gangsters' leader and order the others to disperse.During the arrest, police also confiscated a few boxes containing machetes and explosives.
The subsequent newspaper reports, however, have portrayed the reverse of developments as seen by the residents.
According to the Brimas press release, the report had also “lied” when it said that the Rumah Ranggong residents had, through their trustees, signed in July 2009 an agreement of indemnity with BLD for 30 percent equity in the project.
To the contrary, said Brimas, the joint-venture agreement (JVA) between BLD, Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB) and the residents of Rumah Ranggong and neighboring Rumah Belilie was signed in February 2001.
On Feb 2, the Borneo Post under the headline “Police to take action over alleged threat” reported that the residents had threatened to use force against BLD’s workers, which led the company to ‘beef up’ its ‘security’.
Changgai said the story needs to be corrected, as the Deed of Rescission between SLDB and BLD was signed in Oct 2008 without the residents’ knowledge to rescind the JVA due to the state government’s “mistake” in declaring the land as under NCR.“Because of this I was sued by BLD for trespassing in my own land and that triggered our land dispute, on which we filed a counter-suit that is now being tried before the High Court in Kuching.
“Last year, we wrote a letter to BLD to demand our land back and also to settle our long overdue dividends from the project, but we received no response and that is when we decided to erect our blockade in January this year,” explained Changgai.
The neighbouring residents of Rumah Belilie also erected a blockade to protest against BLD.
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