Police reports against Awang Tengah for sedition

Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Awang Tengah’s recent accusations against Pakatan Rakyat are “shallow” and “irresponsible”.

KUCHING: Sarawak DAP and PKR have lodged police reports against Senior Minister Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, accusing him sedition.

Awang Tengah had reportedly said that if Pakatan Rakyat came into power, they would introduce a “Malaysian Malaysia” concept which “abolishes the right to NCR ownerships”.

Awang Tengah had further accused the opposition pact of  “right now fanning NCR issues for political mileage”.

Slamming Awang Tengah’s comments as “baseless” and seditious DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen said no way in their manifesto was there an idea to abolish native customary rights (NCR) land.

“In our manifesto under the title ‘The fraternity of the people’, it is specifically stated that Pakatan Rakyat will preserve natives’ customary land rights and welfare.

“So what Awang Tengah was talking about is baseless, and such allegation is seditious. He should apologise and withdraw his statement,” Chong said.

He also demanded that Awang Tengah withdraw his statement and apologise, saying that it clearly showed the Minister to be “shallow” and “irresponsible.

Chong, a lawyer and Bandar Kuching incumbent, said that so far in Sarawak there are 200 court cases against the government   who wrongly extinguished NCR land rights and alienated such land to crony companies.

“These are the true actions on the part of BN to abolish land right. This is wrong and should Pakatan Rakyat become government we will right the wrong.

Slanderous statement

Meanwhile, PKR state deputy chairman See Chee How called on police to  take immediate action against Awang Tengah for his “slanderous” accusations.

“It appears that the minister is making an accusation that the victory  of national political parties will cause the abolishment of NCR, which is untrue.

“Pakatan Rakyat is the only coalition which openly declared its fullest support to defend and restore NCR in accordance with the judicious decision of Courts.

“The Courts have recognized NCR over ‘pemakai menua’ and ‘pulau’ in accordance with the ‘Adat’ of the various indigenous communities in Sarawak.

“State Pakatan Rakyat leaders are also on the forefront in fighting against land grabs and defending NCR of various native communities in courts,” he said.

See, who is also a NCR lawyer and Batu Lintang assemblyman, added that Awang Tengah’s statement “runs foul inciting hatred against the Malaysian Federation by implying that the federation had intended the abolishment of NCR over land, which is misleading and seditious.”

Awang Tengah is also the Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment. The state ministry is led by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.