Eighty residents of the Rumah Ranggong longhouse demonstrated in front of the Kuching High Court yesterday, just before the start of their counter-suit against an oil plantation company laying claim to their native customary rights (NCR) land.

The hour-long protest marked the start to the much-anticipated court battle between the Iban natives and BLD Resources Sdn Bhd, the Sarawak Land and Survey Department and the Sarawak government.

NONE Rumah Ranggong residents filed the suit as they are dissatisfied with the claim by BLD Resources that it holds a provisional lease on the disputed land.

BLD Resources had in 2008 lodged a police report that led to trespass charges filed against Rumah Ranggong tuai rumah (headman) Changgai Dali and several other residents.

The charge is disputed by the residents on grounds that the state government had acknowledged the land as NCR in a 1999 memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The MoU, related to the development of the Ulu Niah land, was signed by BLD Resources sister company BLD Sdn Bhd, Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB) and the residents of Rumah Belili and Rumah Ranggong.

The development, which also involved a joint-venture project called Konsep Baru, was cancelled in 2008, when the Sarawak government said it had made a mistake in classifying the land under NCR.

This came despite the government having already paid RM294,990 as a 10 percent upfront payment for the project in 2001.

NONE In 2008, the Sarawak deputy chief minister relented to the outcry and handed over a cheque amounting to RM436,708.20 in dividends and bonuses that had been promised to the participants of Konsep Baru.

However, the trespass charge was not dropped and the trial is ongoing, while the government is still refusing to recognise the disputed area as NCR land.

Three tuai rumah testify

The court yesterday heard the testimony of residents from three neighbouring longhouses, Rumah Belili, Rumah Ampau and Rumah Umpor.

Three witnesses, tuai rumah Belili Lium, Buak Jenau and Umpor Lunsa, acknowledged the existence of a communal boundary between Rumah Ranggong and their longhouses.

The trial, which was adjourned to Jan 24 next year, was presided over by judge Albert Linton.

The residents were represented by Harrison Ngau Liang while BLD Resources was represented by George Lo.

The Sarawak government and the Sarawak Land and Survey Department were represented by Joseph Cheoh.