More action by Taib on Bako land to smooth over the ground before state elections

The state government has acquired a land near the city area and intend to pay standard compensation to the landowners at Rm40 000.00/acre, while the market values have gone many times higher. Is the state government trying to execute a get rich quick on the land by selling the land to commercial developer at market values? The question has set the land owners into an unending frenzy of condemnation that would lose the state seats here!   Taib: Bako land issue may be resolved in two months’ time	Share
Tuesday, 14 December 2010 13:06(Malaysian Mirror)
KUCHING – Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud said the long-standing Bako land issue might come to an end soon as the government planned to come out with a formula and resolve it amicably, The Borneo Post reported Tuesday. What appeared to be a never ending saga between the land owners with the state regarding the compensation for the acquired land would be settled once the right formula has been agreed upon. Taib said on Monday: “We hope to have the formula ready by February (2011). “The issue is not as simple as one would think, as it is a big area. To make matters worse the owners have become impatient as certain quarters had politicised the issue.” Declining to elaborate further, Taib assured that the issue would be dealt with once and for all. Last week, it was reported that the Bako Land Protem Committee hoped the state government would seriously look into the matter as the landowners were not happy with the ‘unsatisfactory compensations’. The land in question spans a total of some 3,000 acres in the Bako peninsular. The government acquired it in September this year. The landowners felt that the proposed compensations of between RM40,000 and RM80,000 per acre for land leases issued before and after 1973 were deemed as grossly unreasonable. These landowners also opined that the compensation rates indicated by the Land and Survey Department (LSD) during an enquiry session on Oct 4 were far lower than the current market value. Some even claimed that their properties were worth at least RM200,000 per acre. The dialogue held with some 450 Chinese community leaders at Pullman Hotel on Monday was organised by the Federation of Kuching-Samarahan Divisions Chinese Associations. Taib spent about two hours discussing mostly on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the Bako land issue. Other issues were also discussed. Divided into two parts, the next dialogue session would be held on Dec 17. Key issues to be discussed include Chinese schools and education. Among those present were Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan, State Secretary Morshidi Ghani, Housing and Urban Development Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg, Malaysia BIMP-EAGA council chairman Wee Hong Seng and Committee of School Board of Directors Chung Hua Primary School 1-6 chairman Dr Chou Chii Ming.