The natives living in the remote district of Tongod, Sabah held its Tinompok gathering recently to mark the end of tribal conflicts over land disputes half a century ago.

"The gathering on November 26, 2005 to mark the peacemaking event is to remind the Dusun Mangkaak and Sungai Rumanau communities in Tongod of the peace pact which they sworn to uphold eternally," Pacos Trust land rights programme co-ordinator Gallus Ikhtoi told malaysiakini today.

Gallus said that the Tongod gathering was organised to remind the natives of the need for them to co-operate and unite while facing common threats and to stoutly defend their values and customs, their native land rights and to project their identity as the natives of Sabah.

Before the arrival of the British, the two communities frequently crossed each other's territory to fight over land disputes. The British eventually managed to persuade the two groups to reconcile. This led to the first Tinompok in 1953.

The gathering of about 250 people, including the villagers as well as representatives from non-government organisations like Sabah's Pacos Trust, Sarawak's Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) and Orang Asli landowners from Peninsular Malaysia, at the peacemaking landmark in Sogit, Kuala Sungai Mananam, Tongod.

The ceremony was held in conjunction with the 12th Cultural Meet of Kampung Meluai, Tongod which was attended by 300 people from eight villages in the area. Among those who attended were 53 participants from seven districts, a lawyer and Sadia secretary-general Nicholas Mujah.

Land rights

During the four-day meet, Tongod natives narrated their experiences and exchanged information with their counterparts from Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia in their struggle to defend their native land rights.

Like many of their counterparts in neighbouring Sarawak, the villagers in Tongod are trying to get a large plantation company off their native customary rights (NCR) land and have taken legal action against the company and the relevant authorities.

Some of the villagers had also been arrested for trying to stop the large companies.

Kampung Maluai chief Darinsuk Pangiran Apan, 77, one of the four plaintiffs in a civil case against Hap Seng Consolidated and four others, spoke of their experience in trying to keep the plantation company out of their area.

Sadia's Nicholas Mujah narrated several cases in Sarawak, including the Nor Nyawai case in Bintulu and the alleged encroachment into NCR land by a Peninsular Malaysia-based plantation company at Kampung Tapo, Serian.

An Orang Asli from Peninsular Malaysia Ilam Senin, one of the plaintiffs in the Sagong bin Tasi case over the land taken for a highway project in Selangor, also narrated their experiences. They won the case, but the government and related parties are appealing against the Putra Jaya High Court decision favouring the Orang Asli.