Jabu, be warned: ‘We’ll get you’

There is no law against telling the truth and questioning the government’s actions, Sarawak PKR reminds Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu.

KUCHING: When Pakatan Rakyat forms the next government it will investigate all disputed alienation of lands and abuses of power in approving provisional leases over native customary rights (NCR) land to the cronies and family members of Barisan Nasional leaders.

“Definitely, the investigation will also cover provisional leases over NCR land given to [Deputy Chief Minister] Alfred Jabu, his family and cronies,” said Baru Bian, state PKR chief.

Bian did not identify the areas given to Jabu’s family members and his cronies.

But according to Lands and Surveys Records 2005, Jabu’s son Gerald Rentap, who is the owner of Utahol Sdn Bhd, has been given a provisional lease (PL) to plant oil palm on 6,900 hectares of land, the bulk of which is NCR land.

His nephew and Bukit Saban assemblyman Robert Lawson Chuat’s company, Durafarm Sdn Bhd, has been given a PL to plant 3,665ha of land with oil palm at Batu Api, Betong and 1,581.8ha at Tunjung Bijat, Simanggang.

Henry Jantum, closely associated with Jabu, has also been granted a PL to plant oil palm in 2,873ha between Batang Lupar and Batang Layar in Betong.

In addition, Jantum’s company has also been given a lease to plant oil palm on 2,127ha at Tanjung Bijat, Simanggang, under the name of Everherald Sdn Bhd and another 2,000ha between Betong and Simanggang for integrated farming.

“When we form the government, we will establish a land commission to investigate all disputed alienated lands and take appropriate action where it is found that the lands were taken from the people by dishonest means.

“One of the tasks the commission is to investigate whether there has been a breach of the country’s laws and abuse of power over the alienation of these lands or the issuance of PL over NCR lands by the present government.

“This is the thing that must be done because dishonest means and abuses of power are criminal breaches of trust,” said Bian, who is a prominent lawyer on NCR land issues.

He was responding to Jabu’s accusation that a “particular opposition party” was employing tactics resembling the method used by the communists in the early days.

‘Baseless’ accusations
Jabu said the “communist tactics” supposedly being followed by the opposition included stealing rice from one longhouse and giving it to another longhouse, claiming that it is theirs.

He also said that similar to the communist’s tactic, the opposition instigated the people to hate the government by belittling the government’s success.

Bian, who is the Ba’Kelalan assemblyman, said: “As a leader of the opposition, I am asking Jabu to be more specific in his allegations. Which party is he pointing his finger at? What exactly is it that he thinks the opposition is stealing from the people?

“Unlike some members of the ruling elite and their families and cronies, the members of the opposition are in no position to steal anything from the people.

“As for belittling the government to incite hate, let me say that the opposition merely tells the truth about what is happening to Sarawak – her lands and her people under the administration of the BN government.

“There is no law against telling the truth and questioning the government’s actions.

“Love or hate for the government is earned by the actions of those who are entrusted to govern, and not brought about by those who merely tell the truth,” he said, urging Jabu to refute what the opposition said by producing facts.

“If Jabu can refute what we say by producing facts, please do so. Do not make baseless and far-fetched accusations which can only backfire on himself in an embarrassing manner,” added Bian.