Sarawak DAP has challenged the Chinese-based Supp, a member of the state's ruling coalition, to a debate on the 'unpopular' new land lease renewal rate policy announced last month.

In a letter addressed to Supp president Dr George Chan, DAP Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen said through an open debate on the matter, "the truth will prevail and the wishes of the people will become more apparent."

Last month, on behalf of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, the state's Second Minister of Resource Planning and Management Awang Tengah Ali Hassan announced the government had decided to fix the land lease renewal rates at 25% of valuation by the Land and Survey Department for residential lands and 40% for commercial and industrial lands.

It was reported that within the next 20 years, at least 30,000 land leases of various categories would be up for renewal. The government also announced that this time owners can apply to extend for longer leases (99 years) upon payment of additional premiums.

However, the policy appeared not to have gone well with the public. Most people, if not all, said the new fixed rates are still high. The chief of the Federation of Kuching and Samarahan Chinese Associations, Dr Chou Chii Ming said recently that the rates should be lowered and fixed at 10% across the board.

Backlash on Supp

Malaysiakini understands that Supp was disappointed at not being consulted about the new policy before it was made public by the minister. Supp had carried out studies which took into account the feedback from the public and suggested a 10%-rate across the board. This had apparently been ignored.

Chan, a deputy chief minister, disclosed last week he would raise the issue at the next cabinet meeting.

Observers said if the matter was not dealt with properly it would likely be a backlash on Supp, with the electorate expressing their displeasure with the party's candidates in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The party was aware of this possibility, they added.

The significance of the reaction to the new policy possibly lied in the fact that there was almost total silence by the public, which observers said indicated that there is nothing good they have to say about the recently-announced rates for the renewal of land leases.

Meanwihile, Chong questioned the government's sincerity in making the announcement two days after the state assembly was adjourned sine die last month.

"Is the government so afraid of the questions and voices of the opposition that it dares not face the opposition on this issue in the assembly?"

What the people want

According to Chong, the new land policy showed that the government of the day was still oblivious of the demands of the people.

In a nutshell, the MP said that the people of Sarawak want:

- Unconditional automatic renewals of land leases upon expiry;

- All notifications under Section 47 of the Land Code shall automatically lapse two years after their imposition if the government does not proceed with the acquisition of the affected land; and

- All compensations for the acquisition of land must be paid out within a reasonable time.

He said Supp leaders, some of whom were in full support of the new premiums whereas others claim that the premiums charged are still too expensive, had made contradictory statements on the issue.

"In all these statements, the party's leaders have totally failed to address a very fundamental point on the land lease renewal issue - the statutory rights of the landowners to the renewal of their leases upon expiry.

Chong added that without the provision in the Land Code for the automatic renewal of land leases, none of the landowners could feel secure for they did not know whether their land leases would be renewed.