YONG PLEDGES FULL RECOGNITION TO NCR

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said the party will, based on its 'Land Reformation Policy', accord full recognition to Native Customary Rights (NCR), give lands to Sabah natives and reverse back the land tenure forcibly reduced by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government from 999 to 99 years.

He said he has done the same thing previously by issuing land titles with 999-year tenure to the Taman Seputeh house owners and another housing in Tawau, meaning the party has no problem to do it again for other house owners.

Yong, who is a former Chief Minister, was speaking at a leader-people gathering organised by SAPP Tanjung Aru CLC, here, Wednesday.

Among those present was a small group of people in traditional attire carrying placards wanting NCR to be recognised, petroleum rights be returned to Sabah and the Native Certificate to be revived.

Their representative, who wanted to be known as Chung, questioned why the Government disregards NCR which has existed ever since the British administration.

"If British had the interest of the natives in mind by creating NCR, how could our own government not recognise the NCR? This is unacceptable," he said.

Chung also asked for the revival of the Native Certificate (Sijil Anak Negeri) which recognises the status of natives and Sino-Kadazan, describing the Government's freeze on the issuance of the certificates has put the natives especially the Sino-Kadazan in a difficult position which could result in the deterioration of their status, entitlements and rights.

He said despite repeated calls to unfreeze the issuance of the certificates which was frozen since the 80s, the Government has been dragging this serious issue.

SAPP Tanjung Aru chairman Datuk Richard Yong, in his speech, highlighted the problems faced by the people in the Tanjung Aru area, saying after 49 years of independence, Tanjung Aru town and the water villages have not changed much, except for a Tanjung Plaza and a few prosperous club houses operating slot machines.

"The same old problems persist, the Prince Philip Park is still in a miserable situation, broken wooden walkways and leaking roofs of the village houses, heaps of rubbish surrounding the water villages and even flood problems near the sea," he said.

"Tanjung Aru has been badly neglected. A lot of the residents moved out from the area because of these unbearable problems. Their houses were then rented out to people from outside Tanjung Aru including foreign workers," he said, adding this was happening in the Tanjung Aru, Sembulan and Petagas areas.

Richard said the needs of the ordinary people must always be looked after.

Speaking to a crowd comprising mostly residents from Tanjung Aru, he said SAPP has, based on observation, prepared plans and programmes to resolve the flood problems with a large-scale flood mitigation system, to focus on the housing needs of the people, to propel the economic activities and to promote tourism and cultural activities in the area.

"These are all aimed to create Tanjung Aru into a better place for the ordinary people," he said.

"Another area that SAPP will look into is the deplorable housing problems especially at all the water villages of Sembulan, Tanjung Aru and Petagas.

People have been complaining about the dilapidated state of the houses and wooden bridges which has been neglected by this BN government.

"SAPP will by way of consultation with the local residents come up with a restructuring programme by taking Brunei water villages as an example to make Kg Tanjung Aru a conducive place for living," he said.

Richard pointed out flooding is another pressing problem faced by the people both in the towns and villages, saying the improper and non-maintained drainage and sewage systems resulted in overflowing of dirty foul-smelling water all over the roads.

In view of that, SAPP plans to rectify the drainage systems at the towns and kampungs to prevent flooding.

Likas Assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan, Luyang Assemblywoman Melanie Chia, Datuk Wong Yit Ming, Supreme Councillors Don Chin, Aloysius Siap, Bahari Aship and Abdul Malik Mohed from Kota Belud were also present. (DE)