Sarawak DAP has pulled the rug out from under the feet of Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) on the hot Bako land issue by announcing that letters from the Lands and Survey Department Department are ready for collection by the land owners.

Chong Chieng Jen speaking to reporters in Kuching "In fact, they can come to the Lands and Survey office at Badruddin Road in Kuching even from this Monday," its secretary Chong Chieng Jen ( right ) told reporters today.

Over 200 owners have cried foul even since their land was placed by the government under Sections 47 and 48 of the Sarawak Land Code in 1973.

A total of 3,000 acres of mixed zone land, comprising 437 parcels, were placed under Section 47, where the owners were to be notified of the government's development plans.

Many of these land parcels were later placed under Section 48 to empower the government to acquire them.

Chong, who is also the Bandar Kuching member of Parliament, slammed the Lands and Survey Department for not notifying the landowners to collect the letters.

The letters, dated March 21, 2011, was signed by the Superintendent of Lands and Survey of Kuching Division, Abdullah Julaihi.

The letters inform the landowners that the government has cancelled the imposition of Sections 47 and 48 of the Land Code on their property.

Notices cancelled

"We came to know of these letters when we wanted to get some documents relating to one Maureen Song Chai Kee which our legal firm is trying to get from the Lands and Survey Department," Chong, a lawyer with the firm, said.

NONE He said it was then the Lands and Survey Department informed the legal firm on March 25 that the government had already prepared a letter to Song to cancel the notices of notification and acquisition on her land, Lot 434 Block 5, Muara Tebas Land District.

The letter, however, has yet to be sent to her.

"We were told that all the letters are ready. I urge the owners to go and collect their letters, starting this coming Monday," he said.

He said the letter is a form of protection for their property.

Chong believed that the BN had wanted to hand over the letters to the landowners while campaigning in the state elections.

"BN wants SUPP's candidates to hand over the letters to the landowners to claim credit," he said.

"But we beat SUPP in announcing the existence of the letter first, and asking the landowners to come to the Lands and Survey office," he added.

He said once they have collected the letters, they must immediately apply to renew the leases of their lands if they are about to expire.

"As the state elections is coming, it is a good time to demand for the government to renew the leases.

"I cannot guarantee that the government will renew the leases after the elections," he said, adding that there should be no reason for the government to reject the renewal of the leases as the fault is not with the landowners.

"They must demand that the approval must be given within three days as mentioned by Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Awang Tengah Ali Hasan," Chong, a former Kota Sentosa State Assemblyperson, said.

"After the elections, you can kiss goodbye to your land if it is not renewed by April 16," he stressed.

Right elements

Chong opined that the fight by the owners to get back their land has been successful because of the right "elements".

"The elements are they are united, facing the same problems, have raised the issue strongly and staying in constituencies where the BN or SUPP is weak, like in Sibu and Kuching, " he said.

"Most of the landowners are staying in Kuching and Sibu where the BN and SUPP are weak as proven by the past elections.

penan blockade in sarawak logging "If the landowners are living somewhere in Baram, no matter what they do, the BN will not even bother about them.

"That is why we see a lot of native customary rights (NCR) land being taken from the natives in the rural areas," he said.

He said nothing has been done by the government to return the NCR lands, despite the owners putting up blockades and demonstrating.

Chong said although the right to own land is protected by the Federal Constitution, in practice, a lot of factors came into play to decide if the land owners could defend their land.

"The whole land policy of the government sucks," he added.