Sarawak Natives Protest: Sahabat Alam Malaysia Update
10/28/97
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Headline: Sarawak Natives Protest: Sahabat Alam Malaysia Update
Source: Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)
Date: 10/28/97
SAM Update on native protest
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More than ten representatives from an Iban village, Rumah
Saudan, Sungai Melikat, Baram came to SAM office in Marudi on the
23rd October, Thursday to seek assistance in connection with
their dispute against a logging contractor, Hijau Setegap Sdn Bhd.
According to the representatives, the said company which
claimed to be a contractor to Hiap Hong Sawmill Sdn Bhd
(licencee), had tresspassed into their communal native
customary land sometime in early August this year to build
logging to road and bridges and extract timbers from their
NCR land.
Upon knowing about the tresspass/encroachment by the said
company, the residents of the above village had approached
the company and its workers to stop its activities thereat.
However, after some time, the company and its workers resumed
its operations in the disputed area and extracted some
more timbers. It also built bridges across two of the
rivers within the longhouse communal territory to facilitate
its logging activities. Furious over the company's stubborn
attitude and deliberate defiance of the people's plea to
stop further encroachment, some of the residents removed its
wooden bridges by using the company's tractor.
The group reported that on Wednesday, 22 October, a lapse of
two weeks after the above protest action by them, their headman,
T.R. Saudon ak Singgai and his assistant, Manjau ak Anding were
called by the Police in Marudi to the police station. At the
police station the duo were arrested and put under remand
until today.
SAM had helped draft a police report regarding the criminal
tresspass by the said company for the complainants. The said
report was brought personally by the complainant together with
the others to the police station and was accompanied by SAM staff,
Thomas Jalong. At the police station, he approached one of the
police officer to record the report as written in the letter.
However, he was later asked by the said police officer to record
the report in the Police Report Book. Although he insisted that
the report should be done by the police, the officer told him that
anybody can write down the report, not necessarily the police.
So he wrote down the report. The said report was then signed by
the complainant and Jalong.
When Jalong went out of the Sergeant's room, the police
station was already packed Iban comprising men and women from the
Rh. Sandom village.
He heard some of them demanding for the release of their headman
and his assistant while some asked to be
detained/remanded together with them, and some asked the
police to provide them with food as they (the police) have
created the problem which make them leave their village to
demand justice.
SAM staff, Jalong was then called into the room of one of the
Police Inspectors (Insp. Shuib). While in his room, he was asked
for my identity card. His name was recorded together with the
list of names of all those Ibans gathered at the police
station. The Inspector then asked Jalong why did this big group
(around 20 people) of Iban come to the police station. Jalong said
he had no idea but he believed they had gone to show their support
(physical and moral) to their headman and his assistantas they
felt that their arrest had something to do with their dispute
with the company. The inspector told Jalong that the Police
could take action if they do not disperse and leave the station.
Jalong replied that before the police could take action, the
crowd should be properly advised on their action if they don't
take heed then the police can take action deem appropriate. He
then sought Jalong's assistance to explain to the crowd and
advise them to leave the station.
Jalong then explained to the crowd that there is nothing much
to be done at the station, and that their report regarding the
alleged offence committed by the company had already been made
and recorded. He also informed them loudly and clearly (so as
to be heard by all the police officers around) that the duo
under remand will have to be released by the afternoon (23rd
October) as it will be unlawful to remand them more than
24hours unless further remand order is obtained from the court.
He further informed them that since a report has been lodged,
they can now expect the police to carry out the necessary
investigation. After all the police has acted promptly on the
company's complaint, the same could be done to their
complaint/report. The crowd then hesitantly agreed to
disperse although some still insist that they wait at the
station until the release of the two under remand. They were
released on police-bail at 3 p.m. on Thursday 23 October. and
required to appear on the 24 November 97 at 9.00 a.m. at the
Magistrate's Court. However, no charge was mentioned in the
bail. Failure to appear on the said date, means that each of
them will have to pay a fine of RM500.00
When the headman was asked by the police who were the people
behind the action, the headman told the police that the whole
community was, so the whole community was responsible.
The community leaders will meet SAM on Monday 27 October for
further discussions on how they should proceed from here.