Villagers of Rumah Sylvester Panau in Kapit Division are up in arms over the felling of millions of ringgit worth of engkabang and fruit trees by a logging company with allegedly links to family members of a prominent businessman and politician from Kapit.

sarawak kapit map The villagers, led by Kunchi Datu, a 60-year-old woman from the longhouse are filing a court case against the company, Lim Seng Huat Sdn Bhd for encroaching into their temuda, pulau galau and pemakai menua and felling their engkabang and fruit trees.

"They will file their case next week," said Nicholas Mujah, an activist. He expects more cases to be filed as seven other longhouses in the area were also affected.

Mujah, the secretary general of the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) went to the longhouses last week on the invitation of the villagers to gather more details for the court case.

No action on police reports

Mujah said the villagers had lodged a number of police reports against the company for felling their engkabang and fruit trees in their temuda, pulau galau and pemakai menua.

the antidote article long kerong sarawak timber logging samling 090609 05 The police reports, including one made by a 53-year-old villager, Nyalu anak Narok in September last year were made at the Song police station.

"Thus far, the police have taken no action," he said, adding that the frustrated villagers contacted him when nothing came out of their reports.

Mujah said investigations revealed that after the company had completed logging a permanent forest nearby, it went for engkabang and fruit trees in the longhouse's pemakai menua, pulau galau and temuda.

Mujah agreed with the villagers' claim that several million ringgit worth of engkabang trees have been felled thus far.

Song river shallow and murky

Like meranti timber, engkabang finished products are fetching prices as much as RM3,000 a ton in the local market.

And during fruiting seasons, the villagers could easily earn as much as RM15,000 from the produce from the engkabang trees.

Mujah said that due to timber operations in the area, the Song river has become shallow and murky.

Previously the river was the source of ikan semah and tangadak, but now such fishes are a rarity. Semah and tangadak are worth about RM100 a kilo.

Mujah said a search with the Companies Commission of Malaysia, showed Lim Seng Huat Sdn Bhd has links to Datuk Sng Chee Hua's family members.