KUCHING: Owners of 584 lots of land in Batu Kawa who have overpaid their land premiums are eligible for refunds.
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, however, revealed yesterday that owners of 172 lots of land in Batu Kawa had not yet applied for the refunds.
Sim, who is also the Batu Kawa assemblyman, said the reduction of land premiums from RM5,000 to RM2,500 per lot was announced by the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg in 2018 to help the lower-income group.
“The refund application deadline is on October 31 and therefore, we are urging the public to check if they are eligible for the refunds,” he told reporters at the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Batu Kawa Service Centre here yesterday.
Dr Sim also revealed that the Batu Kawa land lot owners who had not yet applied for the refunds came from Batu Kawa Resettlement Scheme Phase 1, Phase 2 Stage 1, Phase 2 Stage 2 (non-Muslim), Phase 2 Stage 2 (Muslim), Phase 3 and Stapok Resettlement Scheme.
At Sungai Apong Resettlement Scheme in Pending, he said owners of 205 lots were eligible for refunds but 51 had not yet applied for them. At Stampin Resettlement Scheme Phase 1 to 3 in Kota Sentosa, owners of 626 lots were eligible for the refunds but 86 had not applied for them.
“We will be engaging the community leaders to assist us in tracing the landowners who had not yet applied for the refunds,” said Dr Sim.
He explained that the refunds could not be done automatically as the Sarawak government wanted to ensure they went to the right persons.
“For instance, if the landowners are dead, to whom should we refund them to? If they were to be refunded to the wrong person, then the government would probably be blamed for not doing anything to help,” he pointed out. “That is why we want them to come forward and apply.”
Also present at the press conference was a political secretary to the Chief Minister, Tan Kai.
