No More Hope for Sukau Villagers

KOTA KINABALU: The Kampung Sukau people were disappointed with the Federal Court on 21.02.2012 for refusing to invoke their inherent powers under rule 137 of the Federal Court Rules 1995 to set aside a court order obtained by Campo Sdn Bhd to evict them. 


They were represented by Ken Yong, a practising lawyer,outspoken on NCR and land rights and Borneonisation cases, he is also Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Supreme Councillor (picture - second from left) Campo Sdn Bhd whose director is Nasir Yeo, a well known crony of Musa Aman claimed to have purchased the land where Kampung Sukau is located from a group of land applicants (picture - group from Kg Sukau at the KK High Court accompanied by SAPP members). The company then obtained a court order from the High Court to evict the Kampung Sukau people from the land where they have cultivated and lived for more than 20 years. 

However, the Kampung Sukau people discovered later that the land applications by the said group of land applicants had actually been rejected by the Lands and Survey Department. Some of the applicants from the said group had even passed away and their descendants claimed to inherit the 'land applications' as heirs. 

889,779 in Sabah are foreigners?

A website quoting the Malaysian Statistics Department claims that the number of foreigners in Sabah now stand at 889,779 as against 2,316,963 Malaysians. 

According to beritasemasa.com, the overall Sabah population reached 3.2 million as at 2010, but that the number of foreigners in Sabah "is closing in and have already hit 27 per cent."

It said the most foreigners are in Tawau (171,409), Sandakan (148,438), Kinabatangan (117,689), Kota Kinabalu (112,145) and Lahad Datu (77,003), respectively

Source: DailyExpress Online February 16, 2012

Tahniah Tan Seri Bernard Dompok

Kerajaan Persekutuan membuat keputusan mengenai cadangan penubuhan Suruhanjaya Siasatan Diraja (RCI) mengenai pendatang asing tanpa izin di Sabah, kata Menteri Perusahaan Perladangan dan Komoditi, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok. 

Dompok berkata, Kabinet sudah menyerahkan mandat kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak, yang mengilhamkan gagasan 1Malaysia, untuk mengumumkan perkara itu. "Ini adalah sesuatu yang amat ditunggu-tunggu oleh rakyat Sabah selama ini. Saya membangkitkan isu RCI pada mesyuarat kabinet sekurang-kurangnya tiga kali sebelum ini, tetapi ia tergantung tanpa sebarang keputusan.

"Saya membangkitkan lagi isu ini pada mesyuarat kabinet terakhir (8 Feb) dan kabinet kemudiannya membuat keputusan...Perdana Menteri akan menangani seterusnya," katanya kepada pemberita selepas melancarkan kalendar dalam bahasa Kadazandusun di SK Putaton, dekat sini hari ini

The Oldest Bus Company in Sandakan Will Be Closed

Labuk Road Bus Co Sdn Bhd, the oldest bus company in the Sandakan district will cease operations after 56 years due to rising costs for it had been losing passengers to mini buses. Manager Henry Chu said the company tried to stay afloat but could not cope with intense operating costs due to stiff competition from mini buses.

“As the oldest bus company in the district, of course, it breaks my heart to wind down operations. “But I do not have any choice as we cannot continue to bear mounting costs and we have to close before incurring more losses,” he told Bernama.

He, however, did not say when the company will cease operations, but it is likely to be later this year. Labuk Road Bus Co has a fleet of 30 buses plying in the radius of 25km from Sandakan town and employs 60 people. “Their welfare will come first before the company ceases operations,” said Chu. He said the company had not sought government assistance to continue operations.

However, he urged the government to stop issuing more mini bus permits for there were already too many mini buses on the road. Meanwhile, bus driver Hussin Olong, 38, said he was saddened over his employer’s decision to cease operations for he had been working for the company for 18 years.

“I hope my employer will find ways to continue operations for the employees are very proud of working with one of the oldest bus company in Sabah,” he added.