Brothers angered by lack of compensation for land

Being an Umno division chief has been of little benefit to Othman Mohd Yusuf who's been been given the run-around over his land compensation claim.

KOTA KINABALU: Two brothers here have threatened to sue the state and federal governments for failing to compensate them for land that was expropriated from them more than seven years ago.

The two said the government had no right to delay compensation especially after claiming that they (both governments) were on a sound financial footing and were showing this by disbursing cash handouts to the people via various programmes ahead of looming elections.

Othman and Ahmad Shah Mohd Yussof said they have been given the run-around after knocking on the doors of various government departments to be reimbursed for the loss of two parcels of land together measuring some five acres in Karambunai near here.

The land in question is said to have been taken over by the state and federal governments respectively for the constructions of a water reservoir in Telipok and an access road to a navy base in Sepangar.

Speaking at a news conference arranged by his counsel, Erveana Ansari Ali, Othman said the land had been expropriated in 2005 and 2006.

Being the Karambunai Umno division chief has been of little benefit to Othman in this instance.

He said he and his brother had no choice but to come out in the open to highlight their plight after exhausting all avenues to be compensated by the government for their loss.

Of the two pieces of land, the bigger was taken by the state government for the reservoir project in March 2005 and measures approximately 4.882 acres. The plot acquired by the federal government the following year measures approximately 0.068 acre.

The two, Othman said, are valued at RM7.3 million and RM912,000 respectively and both ware listed as commercial land.

“What is frustrating was that when our counsel officially wrote to the state Lands and Surveys Department on the matter, our counsel was told to refer to the State Attorney General and until today we are still waiting for an amicable settlement,” the Karambunai Umno chief said.

He wants Chief Minister Musa Aman to intervene and to include the compensation for the land acquisition in the State Budget 2013 which will be tabled in the State Legislative Assembly on Oct 17.

“We also appeal to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence to expedite the compensation for the piece of land acquired for the construction of the access road leading to the Navy Base.”

He warned that both he and his brother would go to the courts to seek redress if the federal and state governments continued to ignore their legitimate demands.