BETONG: Members of Village Development and Security Committees (JKKKs) are urged to play a role in resolving social confusion resulting from false stories or fake news.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said that ahead of the election season, many issues were deliberately raised. For example, in the past few days, land issue under Section 6 and Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code had been a hot topic.
“Be careful because news can fly far, fast and in a second can reach the whole world.
“Here too, leaders at the village and longhouse levels must play a role because if we are easily incited, it will cause the community to be divided.
“The people will suffer especially when problems arise from untrue stories.
“For example, the story about land surveying is because there is a leader inciting the community not to survey their land under Section 6 of the state Land Code claiming that the land will become government land.
“Therefore, JKKK’s function in this matter is very important to ensure that the people really understand the government’s initiative to survey land under Section 6 first before doing so under Section 18,” he said.
Uggah said this when officiating at the launch of a Community Policing Workshop for Betong JKKK at the Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan Sports Hall on Saturday.
He reiterated that the government would never take people’s land without fair compensation.
“There is no term for the government to take people’s land, even if it is used for development, compensation will be paid,” he said.
Uggah explained that the Land and Survey Department would have to ask for consent from the community or the land owners before conducting a survey.
Also present were Layar assemblyman Gerald Rentap Jabu, Saribas assemblyman Mohammad Razi Sitam, Beting Maro assemblyman Razaili Gapor and Betong Division Resident Friday Belik.
