NABAWAN: Residents of Kampung Barung here are questioning the fate of their land applications submitted since 1989, which were eventually rejected on grounds described as “lack of harmony”.
Leader of the Kampung Barung land applicants Apau Ampakat, 74, said the residents, most of whom are farmers and Sabah Natives, only hoped that the land they had cleared and cultivated could become a source of livelihood and a legacy for their children and grandchildren.
He said the land applications submitted since 1989 involved between 15 and 50 acres for each applicant.
“Where is the justice for the Kampung Barung land applicants who have been waiting since 1989?“We are neither wealthy nor experts in land administration matters. We are simply farmers and Sabah Natives who hope that the land we have cleared and cultivated can become a source of livelihood and a legacy for our children and grandchildren,” he said.
According to Apau, if there were shortcomings or errors in the residents’ applications, they should have been given guidance and an opportunity to rectify them.
He questioned why applications that had been pending for more than 35 years were not brought to the appropriate level to be reviewed and resolved fairly.
He said the reason of “lack of harmony” given for rejecting the applications was difficult for the applicants to understand as they had not been given a clear explanation of the actual shortcomings in their respective applications.
Apau said the residents were further disappointed when, in 2023, a family comprising a mother and three children was said to have applied for 37.08 hectares of land each.
“They were said to be from Tudan Baru, Bingkor, Keningau and one of the children was around 12 years old when the application was made,” he said.
Based on information and documents obtained by the residents, Apau said the notice under Section 18 was believed not to have been displayed for the prescribed period.
He said the Village Head was also allegedly not informed of the application.
“As a result, the Kampung Barung residents were unaware of the application and had no opportunity to lodge an objection, although the area applied for was alleged to overlap with land that had long been applied for and cultivated by the residents,” he said.
According to him, the family’s application was approved in 2024, while the process of preparing the draft title began in 2025.
By 2026, he said, the draft title had been issued and was understood to be awaiting registration to the prospective owners.
The situation, he said, raised questions among the residents as to why their applications dating back to 1989 were rejected, while an application made in 2023 could be processed and approved within a much shorter period.
Apau said the Kampung Barung residents, despite living as farmers with uncertain incomes, did not remain silent and pooled their money little by little to engage a lawyer.
“We are not trying to take away anyone’s rights. We only want to defend the land that we have long applied for, cleared and cultivated, and demand that the land administration process be carried out transparently and fairly,” he said.
He said the residents were not seeking special treatment, but wanted their voices to be heard, their documents reviewed and to be given a proper opportunity to rectify shortcomings in their previous applications.
“To the authorities and leaders responsible, please hear the grievances of the Kampung Barung residents.
“Do not allow our lack of understanding of land administration matters to result in our rights and the future of our children and grandchildren being marginalised,” he said.
Apau stressed that the residents did not reject development or deny the rights of others, but were merely seeking justice, transparency and the right to be heard.
