The Kayan community in Long Panai, Ulu Baram in northern Sarawak has started a road blockade to prevent a reforestation and oil palm company from encroaching their native customary rights (NCR) land.

Their spokesperson Ding Laeng told Malaysiakini that the villagers are up in arms over an agreement between the company Pusaka KTS Forest Plantation Sdn Bhd and their village chief Gilbert Ding Laing.

“The agreement was signed without any consultation with us although we are the legitimate land owners,” said Ding Laeng.

In the agreement signed last month, Pusaka KTS Forest Plantation would be carrying out reforestation and oil plan plantation works at Long Panai Tutoh, Apok District in Coupe 7, covering an area of about 2,000 acres.

Subsequently, a letter signed by 80 Long Panai inhabitants and landowners were submitted to the company’s headquarters in Kuching.

Not party to agreement

According to Ding Laeng, the NCR land boundaries of the villagers had yet to be recorded by the company.

“(Therefore), we reserve our right not to participate in the project which is detrimental to our ownership of our NCR land within the communal land boundary of our longhouses,” he said.

Ding Laeng stressed that the land owners are therefore in no way a party to the agreement between their village chief and Pusaka KTS Forest Plantation.

However, Diang Laeng said that the community is still open for negotiations in order to find an amicable agreement beneficial to both parties.

He warned that should the company not heed their protest, they would take appropriate action. Previously, Ding Laeng had lodged a police report on the matter at the Lutong police station in Miri on April 15.