Compensate Milau dam land owners adequately: Max

KUDAT, August 5 (Daily Express) -- Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili urged the State Government to ensure adequate compensation and relocation facilities are provided for rural land owners affected by large development projects.

He made this call after chairing a dialogue between government agencies and landowners from 10 villages affected by the construction of the Milau dam at the Kudat and Matunggong boundary.

The RM230 million projects, which commenced construction in 2005, will serve as reservoir to supply water to Kudat and parts of northern Matunggong.

Speaking to reporters later, Maximus, who is also Marudu MP and Parti Bersatu Sabah Deputy President, said:

"A total of 362 land owners are effected by the dam construction of whom 210 are holders of land application (LA) but have established customary rights on their land through decades of settlement and land use."

"All of them are required to vacate their property by November 2007 as the impounding reservoir will begin to be flooded by then."

Maximus said there was great distress among landowners because of non-compensation for Native Customary Right (NCR) land (non-title land) except for improvements for planted corps and dwelling assets.

He stressed that relocation sites and resettlement had not been planned and provided properly to those entitled for such benefits "while most will have nowhere to go by November unless housing facilities are completed by then."

He pointed out that at the moment the Kudat District Office was yet to finalise the relocation sites.

"Funds allocated for resettlement housing will be sufficient only for 30 per cent of the affected families. At least an additional of RM6 million is required to cater for all affected families," he said.

Maximus said in any large project that affect relocation of landowners, adequate compensation and resettlement facilities must be sorted out and completed before developers take possession of the construction site. He added this was not the case in the Milau dam project.

However, he was optimistic with the cooperation of everyone involved and with the political will of the State Government to provide the necessary funds it would be able to salvage the situation and resolve the problem satisfactorily.

Present at the dialogue were Community Development and Consumer Affairs Assistant Minister as well as Matunggong Assemblyman Jornah Mozihim, State and Federal senior government officers and representatives for the company undertaking the construction of Milau Dam project.

In KOTA BELUD, Dr Maximus urged Malaysians, especially youths, to have a better understanding of the country's history relating to its struggle for independence so that they might be well aware of the sacrifices of the previous leaders towards achieving this goal.

He said this was important as it could help generate the spirit of patriotism and loyalty for the nation.

Ongkili said this while launching the Rakan Muda-Jiran Muda Community Sports, at SMK Narinang, Saturday.

Only then, they could fully comprehend the significance of the country's 50th year of independence, he said.

He believed that the community sports programme is among the more positive steps to invoke the determination of the people to make the 50th anniversary celebration a great success.