Miri, Sarawak Friday, 27^th March, 2009

The penans from the longhouse, Rumah Ugos comprising of 56 families located at Jambatan Suai in Suai, Niah, Miri Division this morning gave notice to YB Datuk Dr. James Jemut Masing, the Sarawak Minster of Land Development and YB Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, the Sarawak Minister for Rural and Infrastructure Development that they will take back their native customary rights (NCR) land which have been developed into an oil palm plantation based on the “Konsep Baru” Joint Venture (JV) Development in 1998.

Led by their Ketua Kampung Encik Ugos bin Sugon aged 78 years and Ex-Councillor Encik Jadam anak Eken aged 58 years, this morning they met Kayan lawyer, Environmentalist and former Baram Member of Parliament, Mr. Harrison Ngau Laing in his office complaining that they have been totally kept in the dark by their Joint Venture partners and the Ministry of Land Development and Ministry of Rural and Infrastructure Development as to what is going on with the JV Project.

According to Encik Jadam the Joint Venture Project involved 2128 hectares of their NCR land and during the negotiation in 1998, it was agreed that the penans will have 30% shares and the Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB) which shall be their trustee will have 10% shares and the remaining 60% shares will be held by the private investor.

“During the official launching of the JV Project in Miri in 2000 by Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, we were paid 10% of the value of our 2128 hectares of NCR land valued at RM1,250.00 per hectare. We were also told that the balance are to be invested on our behalf in the Amanah Saham Sarawak (ASSAR) by SLDB” said Encik Jadam.

According to Jadam, during the Parliamentary election in March 2008, the Chief Minister Pehin Seri Abdul Taib Mahmud handed a cheque for RM500,000.00 through his (Jadam’s) brother Datuk Hasan Sui which was supposed to be their dividends from the JV Project.

“We have asked how this sum of exactly RM500,000.00 not more and not less of our dividends for our 2128 hectares of NCR land was calculated or arrived at but no one was able to tell us” added Jadam.

Tuai Rumah Ugos and Jadam also said that they and the other NCR landowners have not seen the Statement of Accounts of the JV Project until today.

“As such, how do we know whether the NCR JV Project has made profit or not” complained Tuai Rumah Ugos.

An angry Encik Jadam said, “Being owners of the NCR lands involved and shareholders in the project surely we have the right to ask for and to see the Statement of Accounts.”

Encik Jadam also complained that “The official record on the size of the land of the individual NCR landowners including a copy of the JV Agreement on the project have not been given to us. Some of the NCR landowners have died and without such record how are their children able to know that their parents have NCR land involved in the JV Project”

Both of them demanded and warned that, “Since our JV partners are not prepared to disclose the relevant information on this project, we call upon YB Dato Seri Dr. James Masing and YB Tan Sri Alfred Jabu as the Ministers responsibled on this matter to take immediate action failing which we shall take appropriate action to take our NCR land back or shall evict our JV partners therefrom.”

Mr Harrison Ngau fully supported the demands made by the penans including their proposal to take back their NCR lands from the JV project or to evict the JV partners therefrom.

He said, “This is the same sad story of NCR landowners being cheated we have heard over and over again throughout Sarawak. It just confirmed once again the failure, incompetence and the betrayal by the BN leaders especially the so-called bumiputra or dayak leaders in the State BN of the poor longhouse folks and penans who have voted for them in the previous elections. I just hope that our people will remember this repeated and continuous betrayal by the BN leaders and that the people will kick them out in the coming election.”

“The recent case of the Ibans of Rumah Ranggong and Rumah Belili in Ulu Niah whose NCR lands was also developed based on the same “Konsep Baru” with SLDB and Bintulu Lumber Development Sdn. Bhd. through their JV company, Niamas Istimewa Sdn. Bhd. in 1999 but was abruptly terminated in 2008 or after 9 years allegedly on the ground that there was no NCR over the land involved in the said project is one of such cases.

In that case, the JV project was also officially launched by Tan Sri Alfred Jabu in 2001.

It is therefore not surprising that the dayaks in particular have now lost faith and confidence in Tan Sri Jabu” added Mr. Harrison.

Mr. Harrison also mentioned that he and a few other lawyers together with several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) will be launching a campaign against the proposed 12 dams which the Sarawak Government has planned to build in the State.

For further information on the above, please contact:

Executive Director or Programme Director

Borneo Resources Institute (Malaysia) (BRIMAS)

Lot 1046, 2^nd Floor, Shang Garden Commercial Centre,

Jalan Bulan Sabit, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

Tel No. 60-85-438580

Mr. Harrison Ngau Laing

HNL & CO. Advocates, Miri.

Tel No. 60-85-421236

H/P 60-135640236