SUPP Public Complaints Bureau statement

suppadmin | November 7, 2014

The son of a landowner from 24th Mile, Kuching-Serian Road recently approached SUPP Public Complaints Bureau Chief, Wilfred Yap asking for assistance on his father’s behalf as he has recently discovered that his father’s land in Serian had been reverted to the Government of Sarawak vide Instrument No. L. 4631/2011 of 23.2.2011.

The son informed that his father had applied to the Land & Survey Department for renewal of the lease on his land but the answer given to him every time he went to inquire on the status of his father’s application for renewal was the same: the case was pending as the said land was under Section 47 of the Sarawak Land Code.

The son also informed that till to date, there has not been any development whatsoever by the Government on the said land and that his brother is still occupying the said land.

SUPP Public Complaints Bureau Chief Wilfred Yap promised to assist and would write to the Land & Survey department and copied to YAB Datuk Patinggi Haji Adenan Bin Haji Satem, Chief Minister and YB Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Bin Ali Hasan, Minister of Resource Planning and Environment, to appeal on behalf of the landowner for the renewal of the said land and/or the re-alienation the portion of the said land that the Government does not require for a public purpose and/or compensation for the said land calculated as at the date when Section 47 was first imposed.

SUPP Public Complaints Bureau Chief, Wilfred Yap is of the view that perhaps it is time, the present Sarawak Government consider amending Section 47 of the Sarawak Land Code to the effect that all Section 47 notices shall automatically lapse after a certain imposed reasonable period of time after its imposition if the government does not proceed with the acquisition of the affected land.

In the interim, SUPP Public Complaints Bureau Chief, Wilfred Yap appeals on behalf of all affected landowners regardless of race or religion to the Sarawak Government to review the current practice of Land & Survey Department where a Section 47 notification on any land is being used as an excuse or reason/ground for not renewing the term of leases of the affected land.