Some 7,000 acres of land within a radius of three kilometres of the Betong parliamentary constituency in Sarawak are actually a ‘gold mine' worth that is between RM400 million and RM500 million, the DAP says.

"This could be why the Sarawak Land and Survey Department has rejected all applications by landowners to renew their leases that are about to expire," DAP Betong branch chairperson Stephen Dass said.

Since 2010, Dass, an Iban, said yesterday the landowners, comprising largely Chinese Malaysians and Ibans, have been trying to renew their land leases which were about to expire.

"But the department has rejected their applications and the reason given is that the land applied for is within a radius of 3km of the centre of Betong town," he said.

Native customary rights (NCR) lands belonging to nine Iban longhouse dwellers are also affected by the blanket rejection of lease renewals, he added.

The Ibans, who are strong supporters of Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Numpang, have turned to him for assistance since their longhouses are within the state constituency of

Layar.

Jabu, who has represented the constituency for more than 39 years, has been ‘deaf and dumb' on the issue, Dass said.

"Now, more and more people are turning to DAP for help to solve their problems, since DAP opened a branch in Betong in August this year," he said.

‘Political figures involved'

The people have also been complaining to DAP that some political figures were allegedly involved in the freezing of the land leases.

The landowners had told him that some of their names have  vanished, replaced  by other names allegedly linked to these political figures.

"I am still collecting evidence of this abuse of power," Dass, who is on a visit to Kuching, told Malaysiakini.

NONE Meanwhile, Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen told a media conference that the Land and Survey Department's rejection of applications  to renew the  leases was tantamount to ‘wholesale land robbery', and the robbing of the Betong residents of their landed properties.

"It is clear that since 2010, the department has taken the policy of not renewing the leases for land situated within 3km of the Betong town centre.

"Such a policy is most absurd and has a devastating effect on the people of Betong. The 3km radius from the Betong town centre covers 6,983 acres of land.

"It covers all categories of land, commercial and residential properties, agricultural land and even longhouses," Chong said, adding that it literally affected everybody in Betong and would take away all their landed properties.

"This is tantamount to wholesale land robbery. Neither government development projects nor any other reason will ever justify such a massive land-robbing exercise.

"I have written to the authorities to cancel the policy," said Chong, who is also the MP for Bandar Kuching and Kota Sentosa assemblyperson.

He said he had raised the matter in the Sarawak state assembly during its sitting last month, but the minister concerned refused to answer his questions.