SIBU, June 17 (Bernama) — The Sekuau Resettlement Scheme Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) is demanding the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) Berhad to stop its oil palm plantation operation and pay dividends to scheme participants in seven days starting today.
Committee chairman, Henry Kanyan Vincent Rawing said this followed the failure of the federal government-owned company to pay dividends to 404 participants from 24 longhouses in the resettlement scheme.
The resettlement scheme located 74 km from here was created under the Rajang Area Security Command (Rascom) on March 26, 1972 to curb communist activities at that time.
He claimed that since starting operation about 25 years ago in the area, Felcra had only paid the participants dividends four times.
“Felcra also failed to bring any form of development to Sekuau area and improve the economic standard of residents in Sekuau and did not carry out any corporate social responsibility as promised,” he said in a media conference which was also attended by the longhouse headmen involved.
A police report had also been lodged against the management of Felcra at the Stapang police station yesterday by longhouse headman, Tuai Rumah Labang Ayom who represented 25 other colleagues to enable investigations to be carried out by police, Rural Development Ministry and Sarawak Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Ministry.
“We do not want to negotiate anymore as many negotiations had been conducted before this and all did not result in any decision. Just last year alone, there were six negotiations,” said Henry.
He alleged Felcra has been giving excuses for not paying dividends as there were no profits, while Felcra faced debts and the absence of workers to harvest fresh fruits and besides there is no agreement with the residents involved to pay them dividends.
“This is not our problem. What we know is that we have handed over the land to be developed and if based on the excuse of no agreement between us and Felcra, then Felcra should stop operation immediately,” he said.
Felcra is scheduled to replant oil palm in Sekuau next year in the 900-hectare land.
He said from enquiries with the Sarawak Land and Survey Department, it was found the land involved belonged to the people of Sekuau and the department has no record that Felcra had carried out oil palm plantation there.
Henry who is also a member of Sibu Rural District Council, added that if Ferlcra did not stop its operation then the participants involved would carry out demonstrations.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency