A 58-year-old native from Kampung Sungai Limau in Lundu district near Kuching has been remanded in police custody for alleged arson involving two excavators belonging to a logging company.

Goh Kim Kian was detained by Lundu police on Tuesday morning following complaints from the company, according to Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) secretary-general Nicholas Mujah ( right ).

Goh is suspected of burning two logging excavators belonging to Misi Gagah which is carrying out logging activities in areas that the natives have claimed as comprising native customary land, he said.

Mujah added that the area being logged is also their water catchment and only source of drinking water.

Many areas in Lundu district, populated by Bidayuh, Iban and Malay, have been leased our either for logging and plantation activities.

According to Mujah, Misi Gagah was issued with a logging permit April 12 last year by the Sarawak Forestry Department to fell and/or extract commercial timber at Gunong Kuali, about 100km from Kuching.

Putting up resistance

The owners and shareholders of Misi Gajah are mainly from Peninsular Malaysia. They have been identified by Sadia as Asiah Osman, Salsiah Mohd Said, Augustine Soh Kok Choong and Abdul Malek Awang.

"The locals have been putting up resistance to the logging activity since June 2004, when the same area was given to Sanyan Timber Company, a firm controlled by a brother of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. The logging activities stopped when the natives started to protest,” Mujah said.

“Misi Gagah is very stubborn. They have carried on with their activities even though discussions with authorities were still on, and despite two road blockades against the company.”

Malaysiakini learnt that Goh is expected to appear before magistrate Basri Jack, also the Lundu district officer, on Friday, possibly for further remand pending completion of police investigations.

There has been frequent conflict between logging companies and the locals ever since the government began issuing logging permits. Police have intervened several times following complaints by concessionaires, while natives are fighting back.

According to NGO lawyers, no fewer than 160 cases are pending in court over customary land rights.