Sabah Looks into Farmers’ Claims

KOTA KINABALU: The state government will look into claims by 314 farmers that they were not allowed to harvest cocoa and oil palm fruits on the land they had worked on for over 10 years in Kunak.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said yesterday he had directed both the Forestry and the Land and Survey departments to investigate the claims of the farmers from Sungai Mantri, Ulu Kalumpang.

The farmers, out of frustration, had staged a peaceful demonstration at the Forest Department’s Ulu Kalumpang control post recently to highlight their plight.

Speaking after launching Sutera Harbour’s Merdeka celebration, Musa said the government would try to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

“The government is aware that there are people who have crops like cocoa and oil palm on government land.

“However, we will discuss the matter with them, along with the Forestry and Land and Survey departments. We will find a solution to the problem,” he said.

Yesterday, a local daily reported that the farmers had begun opening some 1,890ha of state land by planting cocoa, and later oil palm, and subsequently applying for ownership of the land.

They did not face much problems till about a year ago when told that they had trespassed on land meant for the Ulu Kalumpang forest reserve project.

A year on and the project has yet to begin.

The farmers are disheartened that they are not allowed to harvest their oil palm fruits which are rotting away.

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