Villagers want Sabah govt to issue native land titles

The group that gathered peacefully outside the Lands and Survey Department office in Keningau.

KOTA KINABALU: Over 100 villagers held a peaceful gathering in Sabah’s interior Keningau district, demanding the state government resolve the issuance of individual titles for their native ancestral lands on Wednesday (May 17).

Dressed in native attire, the group of people from five villages from neighbouring Nabawan district marched towards the district Lands and Survey Department office at about 9am, to the accompaniment of traditional music, carrying placards and banners expressing their grouses.

It was understood the villagers wanted an explanation from the department as to why the names of some 100 people from their villages were missing from the list of communal title recipients in Sapulut, close to Indonesia’s Kalimantan border.

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), which also joined the villagers in the assembly, wanted the department to explain why the communal titles were not changed to native titles, as pledged by the government previously.

The representatives from the five villages and the NGO subsequently handed over their letters seeking the explanations to a department official.

Several video clips of the gathering were widely shared on social media. One clip also showed some people performing a traditional Murut dance.

It was learned that the police were present to monitor the situation but no untoward incident occurred.

The group dispersed at about 11.30am.