Govt to discuss returning Sabah NCR land to its owners - Anwar

The federal government will discuss with the Sabah government and Felda to return native customary rights (NCR) land in Tambisan, Sabah, to the rightful owners.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor informed him about an appeal by residents for the return of the NCR land.

“There are about 400 acres (161.87ha) of NCR land in Tambisan, some of it is Felda’s, so I will ask Felda to discuss this immediately with the state government.

“I agree that the land should be returned (to the rightful owners) after proper discussions and land survey by the state government and Felda,” he said when launching the Segalanya Felda Carnival in Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu, today.

Anwar said governments come and go, but Tambisan residents have been waiting for decades for the NCR land to be returned to them.

As such, he assured the people that his government would get it done soon.

“Like I said in Kota Kinabalu, I don’t want problems to take too long to be solved. If I announce it today, the work should start next week, and within a month or two, the NCR land issue in Tambisan should be solved,” he said.

Addressing needs

Meanwhile, the prime minister approved an allocation for a dialysis centre in Felda Sahabat.

He also said the overall needs of the people of Sabah, including issues related to electricity and water supply, have been discussed with the state government.

“Addressing these issues requires substantial funding from the federal government, so do not listen to those with dissenting viewpoints.

“To ensure the welfare of Sabah’s people, good cooperation between the state and federal governments is essential,” he added.

- Bernama

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