22 April 2024
On Today Show
— Malang Laing, Resident of Long Keseh, Baram – Standing Firm: The Battle Against Timber Companies
— Roland Engan, Land Rights Lawyer Activist and Pangai anak from Bakong, the victims of section 5(7) of the Sarawak Land Code 1958 – The Battle for Sarawak's Land: Roland Leads Communities' Call to Abolish Section 5(7)
— Puan Agnes from land rights activist from Selangau – Community Concerns: Longhouse Chief Appointments
Topik Pada Hari Ini
— Malang Laing, Penduduk Long Keseh, Baram – Berdiri Teguh: Perjuangan Menentang Syarikat Balak
— Roland Engan, Peguam Aktivis Hak Tanah dan Pangai anak dari Bakong, mangsa-mangsa Seksyen 5(7) Kanun Tanah Sarawak 1958 – Perjuangan bagi Tanah Sarawak: Roland Memimpin Panggilan Masyarakat untuk Mansuhkan Seksyen 5(7)
— Puan Agnes dari aktivis hak tanah dari Selangau – Keprihatinan Komuniti: Pelantikan Ketua Rumah Panjang
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*Special Randau*
1. Malang Laing was released without being acquitted of the charge of committing violence against timber truck drivers in the logging area of Long Keseh. I requested the logging to be stopped because it did not benefit us, the villagers. Before I detained these timber trucks, I had requested politely and had reported to 3 separate police stations.
2. Zafrul seeks permission to file an affidavit correcting the facts of the affidavit of Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi, which was said to be inaccurate. This relates to the case of a judicial review application by Najib Razak to seek clarity on his house detention for the remaining prison sentence.
3. Najib did not disclose his meeting with the Saudi Arabian King in 2018 to the MACC. This was revealed by the 49th witness in the trial of the RM2.27 billion 1MDB Corruption case.
4. Anwar would be a foolish Prime Minister if he claimed not to know about the addendum or additional decree of pardon for Najib. This is according to former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Anwar has repeatedly stated that he does not interfere in court matters, pardon boards, or royal decrees.
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Malang Laing, Resident of Long Keseh, Baram.
*Standing Firm: The Battle Against Timber Companies*
Accused in court of committing violent crimes causing fear to timber truck drivers in 2021, Malang Laing is grateful to have been released without being acquitted, but somewhat disappointed for not being able to sue the police and timber companies that made baseless accusations against him.
"I fought against timber companies and blocked the timber truck drivers around 2021, 2022, and 2023 (I blocked timber truck drivers several times)," said Malang Laing.
"I blocked 5 timber truck drivers (along with trucks loaded with timber) because their work was disrupted. Then the truck drivers, along with the Camp manager, filed a police report against me. However, before I blocked the trucks, I made 3 police reports at 3 different police stations to stop logging in Long Keseh (KM15) because it did not bring any benefits or goodness to the villagers. However, my reports were ignored. I was also accused of assaulting and intimidating truck drivers. However, all those accusations are false. I was represented by lawyer Roland Engan, and I was released without being acquitted on April 17, 2024.
Malang Laing said to all indigenous land rights activists in Sarawak to rise up and defend their rights. He said, "Timber companies have no right to enter your customary land." Activists must be brave because they are right, patient because they are right, diligent because they are right, persevere because they are right, and loyal because they are right.
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Roland Engan, Land Rights Lawyer Activist and Pangai anak from Bakong, the victims of section 5(7) of the Sarawak Land Code 1958
*The Battle for Sarawak's Land: Roland Leads Communities' Call to Abolish Section 5(7)*
Last Friday, Roland, the land rights activist, launched a campaign to abolish section 5(7) of the Sarawak Land Code 1958. About 50 people supported the event, and he urged more and more people to become aware of this act.
Roland questions why the rights of the Bumiputra, who are the majority in Sarawak's administration, regarding land ownership are not being respected. This section of the Land Code, inserted or amended during Taib Mahmud's administration, has caused delays in resolving 3,000 Native Customary Rights (NCR) cases in the Sarawak Bumiputra Court.
He stated that this law is very cruel, requiring people to produce proof of land ownership, but ignoring the customary rights of generations who have used and proven their land. He stated that this law was added in 1996, when Taib Mahmud became chief minister. Now that Taib has passed away, Roland stated that the GPS government should not bear this irresponsible law and called for its abolish.
Pangai stated that in 2013, his land was categorized as non-NCR land by the government using section 5(7) of the Sarawak Land Code 1958. Crops he had been cultivating for decades were destroyed, yet reporting to the police yielded no results. He mentioned that to this day, he has not received any compensation for his land. He attended the launching called by Roland and expressed that as long as this law exists, more customary land will be sold off.
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Puan Agnes from land rights activist from Selangau
*Community Concerns: Longhouse Chief Appointments*
Madam Agnes confirmed an incident at a longhouse through a viral video regarding the appointment of a Village Chief at the former TR James Medan longhouse, where the losing candidate was appointed by the District Office as the new longhouse head. Puan Agnes is very disappointed with the District Office's action in appointing a Village Chief who was not the winning candidate.
However, Puan Agnes emphasized that if the District Office has appointed a longhouse head who is not the choice of the longhouse community, then the District Office must ensure that this appointment does not lead to division among the longhouse residents. Under the new law, every longhouse head must be changed every two years, and within those two years, minutes of meetings must be sent once every two months as a report on the village's progress under the leadership of the longhouse head to ensure that the longhouse head is performing their duties as the Village Chief and not leading to division among the longhouse residents.
It is very detrimental if a longhouse head is appointed for political agenda.