Taib ‘caught’ by his own words

Slick Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud may not get his way after all with Bako landowners.

KUCHING: Glib-tongued Taib Mahmud may find it easy deceiving local landowners with his word-play, but he’s not managed to get pass the opposition.

Sarawak DAP has caught the chief minister out with his latest talk of lifting the imposition of Section 47 of the Land Code on properties in Bako.

Party secretary Chong Chieng Jen was quick to point out Taib’s play of words last Friday.

“I think the chief minister is just playing with words. There is no sincerity in solving the land issue at Bako.

“You have to understand the acquisition. Section 47 is only a notification of the government’s intention.

“The actual acquisition is under Sections 48 and 49.

“Once section 48 has been imposed, Section 47 is already history,” said Chong, who Bandar Kuching MP.

He was responding to Taib’s expressed intention to lift Section 47 of the Land Code on land in Bako.

About 3,000 acres of lands owned by some 1,000 people have been acquired by the government after placing them under Section 47 for 37 years.

Word play

Last Friday, Taib had declared that he will “very soon free all the Bako lands to be developed by the private sector”.

Taib said he had a master plan for the area and that it would be made public soon.

He reportedly said: “Those landowners who want to develop their lands can come together and we will give them the plan on how to develop the land. That is the best way. I don’t want to spend the government’s money unnecessarily.

“But I want to get the people’s understanding that we will do things correctly because only orderly development can guarantee the country becomes more prosperous.

“Our younger generation will not only have more money, they will also have the ability and environment to enjoy that wealth.”

Deciphering Taib’s Friday speech, Chong told reporters that it was unlike Taib not to know the legality of Section 47.

“You must bear in mind that he is trained in law and has a legal background. He should surely understand the difference between Section 47 and 48.

“I believe this is a deliberate use of words to confuse the public in order to pacify them in the light of the coming state election.

“I don’t know whether he purposely used the words, Section 47,” Chong said.

Annul acquisition

Chong said that if Taib was sincere then he needed to do only two things to solve the problems faced by Bako landowners.

“Firstly, annul the acquisition, and not lift Section 47. Secondly, there are some land leases which are about to expire in 2012.

“So immediately, after annuling the acquisition, Taib must renew the land leases. There is no point now for those whose land is going to expire 2011 to renew their leases.

“The practical thing is for Taib to annul it now. Do not renew their land leases. Now if the leases expire in 2012, the lands go back to the government.

“Not even a single sen will be paid to the landowners,” he said.

On Taib’s suggestion that the land be collectively developed by a private developer, Chong said: “The government should just leave their lands alone.

“Let the landowners develop their own land, as they do not want to be dictated by the government-appointed private sector,” Chong said. - FMT