More than 32,000 natives from across Sabah have submitted a joint memorandum to the State Government on land claims covering a total of about 340,000 acres.

The natives are complaining about what they described as the erosion of their native customary land rights over the past decade or so. They are from 18 districts in the state.

The memorandum was handed over to the Head of State Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah through his private secretary AbdGafar Modin and to Chief Minister Musa Aman through State Secretary Sukarti Wakiman.

A delegation made up of members of a committee specially set up for the purpose by active local NGO Partners of Community Organisations (Pacos), led by its co-ordinator Galus Ahtoi, personally delivered copies of the memorandum.

They were accompanied by about 100 people of various ethnic backgrounds as well as other representatives.

According to Galus, for the past 10 years the representatives of indigenous communities from 17 districts had met 'to discuss, exchange experience and formulate collective action plans to address the erosion of native customary rights (NCR). '

Many affected communities had also taken the matter to court after failing to get government's attention to look at the grievances and demands of the indigenous groups.

The Pacos co-ordinator said it was a long over-due process forthe government to do something about the land problems, suggesting that a general land inquiry be carried out based on NCR as stated in Section 13, 14, 15, 65, 66 and Part IV of the Sabah Land Ordinance Chapter 68, which is to identify and detach all land of NCR status throughout Sabah.

"This include land with NCR status given to outsiders ,including any government agencies that do not respect the NCR ownership," he said.

Galus also said the government should have acknowledged and declared that the land they inherited is owned by the indigenous people based on their native customary rights.

Govt did very little

He cited a judgment made at the Kota Kinabalu High Court that 'The native customary rights which included the right to enter State land for the purpose of establishing it still subsists until today. If it was intended to abolish such right from ever arising again, then a simple legislation or amendment to the law in the terms I have mentioned would do it' made in the case of Rambilin Ambit vs Director of Land and Survey Department 2007. (reported by Malaysiakini last year).

Galus said so far, only several NCR cases have been filed at the High Court while other similar cases could not be filed due to the affected communities lacking financial resources.

He claimed that after years of efforts to have NCR land recognised, respected and protected, the government did very little to this effect.

The Government must act now and not just make more promises to the people.

Copies of the memorandum would also be presented to Suhakam, State Attorney-General, Land and Survey Department and political parties, namely PBS, Upko, DAP and PKR.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Association of Sabah and FT Labuan (Cash) president Patrick Sindu has announced he will be contesting in the Papar parliamentary constituency on either an opposition or independent ticket against BN candidate Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin from UMNO.

He confirmed today newspaper reports of his intention to contest ,saying that onecompelling reason is the land issue which has affected so many natives in Sabah.