The Bill is to ensure that all transactions involving native customary rights (NCR) land from one Bumiputera to another from a different area is more systematic, Abdullah Saidol (BN-Semop) told a press conference when clarifying his debate over the Bill at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.
The passing of the Bill would be a ‘landmark’ moment because it involved Bumiputera land and acceleration of development in rural areas, he said, suggesting that he and BN backbenchers whom he headed would support the bill.
Abdullah however said he hoped that there would be good guidelines and practices for those dealing with Bumiputera or native customary rights (NCR) land to encourage responsibility towards the community at large.
“To a certain extent if there is any bad practice or irregularity we (BN) will not welcome it. Any party who develops any area must have the moral duty or responsibility to assist our community and (should) not be there just to make profit. I think all Bumiputera elected representatives have the same sentiment which is protection of Bumiputera land from unscrupulous people,” he stressed.
Having said that, Abdullah acknowledged the contribution of the non-Bumiputeras, particularly the Chinese, for developing towns and cities.
“We do believe in their (Chinese) contribution. But then again it is time that we looked at development in rural areas. To some of us Bumiputera elected representatives, we see this Bill (if approved) as an opportunity to see our rural areas developed in the future,” he added.
“In my area, we welcome anyone to develop our land and for that reason we (BN) support this amendment bill. There are a lot of rural areas to be developed. Part of the (State) Budget which is rural-biased is to get our areas developed,” he continued.
Abdullah hit out at the opposition for implying that BN did not represent the rural folks when supporting the Bill.
He claimed that some DAP members of the august house were arguing for the sake of political mileage and not because they were really concerned for the affairs of Bumiputeras, saying their concern, if any, was superficial.
“Implying that we do not represent rural folks is too much,” he said, adding that Bumiputera elected representatives would not allow Bumiputera land owners to be manipulated by irresponsible people.
He denied that the State Legislative Assembly would bulldoze the Bill into law to allow rich Bumiputeras to acquire NCR land from another Bumiputera from other areas. It would be wrong for the opposition to imply that only the rich and powerful Bumiputeras would benefit from the amended law, he added.
“How many of them are in the Top 10 or Top 50 list of the rich and powerful in the nation?” he asked.
“If there are things that do not favour the Bumiputeras, we will tell the Chief Minister. We will not allow the Bumiputeras to be manipulated by unscrupulous persons. However we do accept good points that can help Bumiputeras regardless if they (points) come from the opposition or government,” he said.
Abdullah was among the 11 assemblypersons who debated on the bill, which will be debated again or wound up by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang who is also Rural Development Minister today.
Yesterday, Dr Annuar Rapa’ee (BN-Nangka) told the august house that if NCR land were not allowed to be sold, they would be left idle and some land owners might be plucking ‘Midin’ for livelihood.
The Bill, if passed he argued, would not only allow them to sell their NCR land for financial gain but would enable them to enter into joint ventures to develop their land.
When countering the opposition’s argument that the Bill was aimed at legalising transactions which are illegal, Dr Annuar said it would be better to do things that are legal rather than illegal as there would be safeguards for NCR land owners against exploitation and manipulation.
He said it was an insult to the Dayaks for the opposition to claim that they would be easily manipulated by the rich and powerful Bumiputeras because Dayaks now were educated, and even if the parents were not educated their children were, he argued.
Most of the opposition elected representatives who debated the bill yesterday called for safeguards for NCR land owners from possible exploitations and manipulations. Among the proposed safeguards were setting up a body to monitor transactions and also the imposition of restriction on the acreage to be sold, so that Bumiputeras would continue to possess land for farming purposes.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/11/11/land-code-bill-not-to-legalise-what-is-illegal-abdullah/#ixzz3J6O3jBPs
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