BY NATASHA JEE & ALEXANDRA LORNA
KUCHING: An opposition member has argued that while sago plantation is environmentally friendly, large-scale cultivation coupled with widespread fertiliser usage, however, will harm the environment.
Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Kota Sentosa), admitting that sago plantations do absorb carbon particles contained in the air, introducing large-scale plantations can be detrimental to the ecosystem.
“When humans tamper what God has created naturally, definitely there is impact on the environment,” he said in his debate speech in support of the Sago and Nipah Development Board Bill, 2022 during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting today.
He cited the case of the oil palm industry in the state which was contributing to environmental pollution.
“When we embark on a large-scale plantation, it does have an impact on the environment, and one of the economic impacts of this disturbance to the environment is that the country’s oil palm industry faces a lot of challenges and criticism from the European market which bars the sale of oil palm products in the Euro market.
“So when the proposed board is set up, and when we want to embark on a large-scale sago plantation of which it will be grown on swamp land, the same issue of disturbance to the environment may arise.
“Thus, before we reach that stage, the board must look into this matter and avoid what our oil palm industry has done,” he stressed.
He further said the board should also look into how it could attract youth to venture into the sago industry.
“Many youth are reluctant to undertake the planting of sago and this is because of the long gestation period which takes 10 to 15 years. So, farmers would rather tap into the oil palm rather than the sago plantation,” he said.
Another point which he raised was that there was always a conflict between the individual land owners rights and the intention to consolidate the land and give it to plantation companies to develop the land in the name of more efficient use of the land.
“We have seen that conflict of interest taking place in our oil palm industry. When the government intends to embark on a large-scale plantation in any corps, the problem that is faced by the oil palm industry should be used as a reflection and guidance.
“There are so many Native Customary Right (NCR) claims where the land is compulsorily acquired, alienated, or provisionally leased and given to the plantation companies, and landowners were left with the challenge of the acquisition in court.
“So, we do not wish to see the same thing being repeated in the sago industry. So I hope that when the board is formed, these issues can be addressed,” he said.
Earlier, Chong said that the establishment of the proposed board was timely given that Sarawak was the main producer of sago in the country – and in the world – in terms of export of sago products.
Meanwhile, Baru Bian (PSB-Ba’Kelalan) said that he had his reservation, and objections arising from Section 13 under the heading compulsory acquisition.
“This section provides for the compulsory acquisition of land for development by the board if the landowners refuse to give their consent in writing. From reading the bill, this applies to NCR land owners as well.
“Upon compulsory acquisition of the land by the board, the native customery rights of the owners are extinguished in accordance with section five of the land code. And the purpose of the acquisition is deemed to be a public purpose,” he said.
He added that it had been found in many cases where section five, clause three and clause four were being used to extinguish NCR over NCR land for public purposes.
“The Native Customary Land (NCL) owners are not consulted and given opportunity to aid their response to such acquisition. In most cases, the NCL owners only find out long after the process of the petition is gazetted, most of the time, only when the project commences on the ground.
“But in this case, the bill caters for the scenario where there has been some contact and meeting with land owners and the land owners refused to give the lands and I got section 13 clause one of the bill which says and I quote, where it is not possible to develop any land by arrangement or agreement with the owner, the board may, with the approval of the minister acquire such land by compulsory acquisition for the purpose of carrying out any of its functions under this.
“Therefore, in spite of objections from the land owners, the minister can make way through and acquire the said land compassionately under Section 5 of the Sarawak Land Code (SLC). In such a scenario, the land owner loses his or her NCR land forever and is only entitled to compensation as provided for under Section five which would serve a clean code,” he said.
Therefore, he said if the section was removed from the bill, he would support the bill.
In such a scenario, the land owner loses his or her NCR land forever and is only entitled to compensation as provided for under Section five which would serve a clean code,” he said.
