By OSMAN RAZALI
BETONG: The government pays the value of land compensation taken for public projects according to the current market value with some even higher.
According to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who is also Urban Development and Second Natural Resources Minister and Industrial Development and Entrepreneur Minister compensation payments to landowners proved that the government did not confiscate land without paying as claimed by some quarters.
“To implement public projects, we (the government) have to take over the land because we still do not have the extraordinary technology to build infrastructures needed by the people and if state land were to be used they are too far away from the people.
“The government is not keen to acquire land unnecessarily but when the need arises it pays compensation which is fair and reasonable to the landowners and in accordance with provisions in Chapter 18 of the State Land Code and Article 13 of the Federal Constitution,” he said when officiating at the presentation ceremony of compensation cheques to landowners affected by road projects at Ijok, Teguyu, Lempaong, Batu Pesok, Rantau Layang and Perdu, Spak at Betong Resident’s Office here, yesterday.
Awang Tengah also explained that no one can be deprived of his property except by law and no law will allow for the acquisition or use of property by force without adequate compensation.
A total of 143 landowners from six longhouses received total compensation of RM3,090,128.20 at the ceremony.
Their land was taken by the government for the construction of roads in Ijok, Teguyu, Lempaong, Batu Pesok, Rantau Layang and Perdu, Spak involving 65.7 hectares of land.
The road projects were approved by the State Planning Council on 10 February, 2016 through the Public Works Department (PWD).
During the function, Awang Tengah also presented Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) to 19 recipients under the Betong Malay Village Development Scheme.
The total TOL allocation is 118 but 25 were delivered in 2011 and 61 in 2016. Thirteen TOLs are allocated for natural disaster reserves and villages.
Among those present were Industries and Investment Assistant Minister Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, Permanent Secretary to Industrial Development and Entrepreneur Ministry, Datuk Liaw Soon Eng.
