Land Still Matters: Part 2 | Broadcast 21 February 2020

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ENGLISH - On today’s show, we return to land matters to show that land, indeed, still matters in Sarawak. The flood of new land grabs and provisional leases has abated but many communities are still living with the after effects of endless court continuances and quarrels over compensation. We spend the first part of the show with lawyer Dominique Ng who takes us through some of his more colourful cases. As we heard on last Friday’s show, the Mirik and Kedayan communities of Miri area, over 1,000 people, are fighting for their cattle grazing land in Padang Kerbau, right in the city centre on Canada Hill. Settled there since the Brunei times, they have been fighting for more than 20 years and, once again, the case was continued yesterday at the Court of Appeal. The Malay community at Kampung Jamukan and Kampung Semera, meanwhile, are also in court against Felcra, fighting for their 1,000 hectares of land given for ‘development’ 8 years ago. The community lost at the High Court but are continuing to appeal.

Then we speak to two of the grandfathers of land rights cases – Nor anak Nyawai of Sebauh and TR Nyutan of Kampung Lebor, Serian – both of whom lost cases at Federal Court. Nor anak Nyawai tells us how the land, as long as they held it, gave his community purpose and identity. It was something that they used to generate an income and ultimately could pass to their grandchildren. In spite of all his struggles, he counsels all to keep fighting. While TR Nyutan is now in a struggle over compensation. The case was settled by their lawyer without a full explanation of the impact. They thought it was compensation for the destruction of their property but, in fact, it was for the loss of their land as a whole. If they accept, then their existence as a community will be over and they will have to go their separate ways. Now they are rejecting the money; all that matters is the land and their lifelong ties to it.

We end with Minang anak Ganda of Kampung Lebur who is also creating an economy out of her traditional skills. But, in her case, as the bemban in her area is no longer available, she has switched to cotton. Although she mourns the loss of her natural resources, she still must appreciate the gains of her efforts.

Tune in for all this and more, including our usual Berita Menoa. Semoa Kitai Tau Bejako!

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IBAN - Dalam programme ari Radio Nyawa Sarawak kami ngulang ngenang pasal pekara tanah di Sarawak. Diatu bisi pekara tanah ti baru dirampas ngena lisin proviision lease - PL, tang Dayak agi mayuh nanka tanah sida taja court case enggau penyarut pasal duit ganti-rugi endang enda abis. Kami mai kita mendingka penerang ari lawyer Dominic Ng, ngenang pasal sekeda pechara case tanah ti diarika iya dalam pechara. Hari 5 minggu dulu kamari, kita ningaka bansa asal Mirik enggau Kedayan di nengeri Miri, lebih seribu iku sida nanka tanah ba Padang Kerebau ba endur ti dikumbai Canada Hill. Sida udah diau ba endur nya kenyau ari maya Sarawak dipegai Brunei kalia, sida udah bechara nanka tanah nya dalam kandang 20 taun, lalu case nya dipecharaka baru ba Court Appeal kamari. Orang di Jamukan, bechara dalam court nanka tanah sida seribu hectare ti udah diserahka sida 8 taun endur ngaga pemansang. Dalam pechara nya sida alah ba High Court, tang sida agi ngapil.

Kami bisi berandau enggau Nor anak Nyawai ari Sebauh seduai Tr. Nyutan ari kampong Lebor, Serian seduai sama udah alah pechara ba Federal Court. Nor anak Nyawai bisi nusui pasal sida ti mengkang nanka tanah sida, madahka tanah sida endang ngasuh sida temegah. Laban nya tanah pesaka sida nyadika batang pengidup, nya reta ti diempu anak-uchu sida turun menurun jemah ila. Taja iya balat bendar nanka tanah pesaka sida, iya meransang sida sama2 naka ulih nanka tanah pesaka sida. Sida Tr. Nyutan diatu charut penemu pasal duit ganti-rugi. Case nya udah putus diatur lawyer sida tang nadai nerangka tuju duit ganti-rugi nya. Sida ngumbai duit ganti-rugi nya dikena nganti utai tanam ti dirusak kompeni, ti enchuri ngerampas tanah pesaka sida, tang duit ganti-rugi nya dikena mayar tanah sida. Enti sida Tr. Nyutan sanggup nerima duit ganti-rug nya, reti nya sida bejual tanah pesaka sida. Enti sida setuju nerima duit ganti-rugi nya tanah sida abis-lengis nadai diempu sida agi, lalu pendiau sida tasah bepechah-belah sempepai-alai. Nya alai sida enggai nerima duit ganti-rugi nya, laban sida enggai ngelepaska tanah pesaka sida seumur idup.

Randau kami ka penudi nya enggau Minang anak Ganda di Kpg. Lebor, ti nusui jalai pengidup iya ngulihka belanja ari asil iya ti landik beranyam. Penusah ba iya laban bemban ba menua sida nadai agi, dia iya begagaka utai ka dijual iya ngena kain kapas. Iya amat tusah ati ka bemban ti nadai agi ba menua sida, tang iya lantang ati laban utai ti digaga iya laku bendar.

Pendingka berita bukai dalam programme ari Radio Nyawa Sarawak nyengkaum Berita Menua. Semua Kitai Tau Bejaku!

Forest SEA