Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Rural Development Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang may have put his foot in his mouth by attempting to make fun of PKR’s Batu Lintang assemblyperson See Chee How.

 

In the winding up debate on the Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2014 today and replying to points raised by See, Jabu ridiculed the PKR man for saying that the “natives are part of the land as are the trees, mountains, hills, animals, fishes and rivers”.

 

He took exception to such a statement and slammed See for linking the natives with animals.

 

 The statement in question was as follows: ”These NCR (native customary rights) claims should be looked at with the concept that the natives are part of the land as are the trees, mountains, hills, animals, fishes and rivers. My basis for saying this is simple. Prior to the arrival of the white settlement there was no system of land ownership as we have now”.

 

But See ( right ) pointed out the statement was made by Justice David Wong in the case of Agi Ak Bungkong. Wong is now a judge in the Court of Appeal.

 

“The Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak, Richard Melanjun, repeated and agreed with the statement in the case of Bisi anak Jinggot.

 

“I quoted the statement in my speech. It is not my statement,” See emphasised, pointing out that the deputy chief minister was barking up the wrong tree.

 

“Jabu might be thinking that he is clever, but I think he is very confused and unintelligent to not understand the statement.

 

“To a certain extent Jabu is showing contempt by making his own interpretation on the statements made by the judge of the Court of Appeal and the chief justice of Sabah and Sarawak, even if he made the condemnation at the state assembly,” See pointed out.

 

Given the chance, See added he would tell the chief justice what Jabu had said about his statement that was made in court.