Chief Minister Taib Mahmud reiterated today that the government would not acquire private land without providing a fair compensation.      

This had been the government's policy but certain quarters would try to say otherwise and instigate land owners to gain political mileage, he said.      

NONE The people, he said, should not be easily misled by these groups.      

Speaking at a ‘Sejiwa Senada’ programme in Mukah, he said if the government was not able to implement development projects because of land disputes, the people themselves would lose out.      

This had happened before in Long Lama in the Marudi district involving the development of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land for commercial oil palm plantation, he added.     

"When the land owners strongly resisted our plan, we decided to bring the project to Kanowit," he said.      

Taib also said that it was very important for leaders to know the inside out of government development policies and plans.      

"Only then can they explain these policies to the people. When the people are in the know, obviously they will accept and give their full cooperation," he said.      

- Bernama