Members of the Sebuyau Iban community in Sarawak have put up a blockade to stop workers of timber firm Quality Concrete Holdings Bhd from entering their native land.

The blockade, led by the leaders and members of 11 Sebuyau longhouses in Ulu Sebangan, was set up following moves by the firm to get its hands on the valuable timber in the interior - one of the state's last remaining hardwood forests.

raziah mahmud Quality Concrete is allegedly part-owned and directed by Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmu's sister, Raziah ( right ).

Christina S Suntai, who claims her brother and his wife are among those who have entrenched themselves on one of the roads leading into Ulu Sebangan, said the natives are prepared to go to great lengths to stop Quality Concrete workers from “bulldozing their way”, "stealing the trees" and destroying everything else in their path.

“(The Sebuyan) are prepared to stay for the duration to defend their native land from being destroyed and ancient trees from being bulldozed.

“They are prepared to go to jail if the government of Sarawak under the current BN administration support the illegal loggers and arrest them,” wrote Suntai in a posting on pro-PKR/Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak blogsite.

The land eyed by Quality Concrete measures 3,305 hectares which the natives claim had been gazetted as far back as 1956 as native customary rights (NCR) land.

According to the Sarawak Report , the targetted area is a small range of hills which had not previously come under 'development' due to its raised ground, though the surrounding region has already been devastated by state-sponsored logging.

It has now allegedly come in the sights of Quality Concrete due to the presently high prices that its rare timber currently fetch in the world market.

Suntai said the Sebuyau Ibans are calling on “all brave Ibans” to help with the blockade at Ulu Sebangan and to be prepared to stay for the duration of the action.

“It is your duty to protect your land because if you do not do it, who will do it for you?” asked Suntai.