KUNAK: Residents from five villages here voiced their objections to a land application by a private limited company (Sdn Bhd) that is said to have applied for some 25 acres in mukim Kg Buang Sayang for industrial purposes.
The residents had referred with the Land and Survey Office and found the area applied for included an Islamic cemetery that had existed since the 1950s. Kg Buang Sayang Waqf Cemetery Committee Chairman Bacho Alihamdan Hassan said the site also included the water village of Kg Kunak Jaya.
“This cemetery used to be known as Kunak Jaya Cemetery, but due to changes in village demarcations, the cemetery area is now located in Mukim Kg Buang Sayang.
“At the initiative of several villages and residents, a committee was formed to maintain and manage the cemetery,” he said after a courtesy call on Kunak Community Development Leader (PPM) Mohamad Latip Katik at the Kunak Assemblyman’s Office, Wednesday.
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They submitted a letter of objection to the company’s application which they said was “trying to encroach and destroy” the burial grounds of their ancestors and families, if the company was given approval to carry out industry in the area.
“Ancestors, and other family members are buried in the cemetery,” he said.
The protest memorandum was submitted to Kunak Assemblywoman Norazlinah Arif who was represented by Latip.
In the meeting, Bacho hoped the Kunak leaders could help find a solution to resolve the issue.
“We also urge the relevant government agencies including the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis), the Kunak Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheins), the Land and Survey Department (JTU) to look at this issue at depth.
Moreover, it involves public interest, especially the residents who live and have been here for a long time,” he said.
Bacho said his party had voiced to Jheins Kunak previously to get the Kg Buang Sayang Islamic Cemetery gazetted, so that it may not be encroached by other parties.
“The area of the cemetery is four acres and is full.
However, reclamation of the swamp area around the cemetery has been proposed to accommodate burials from nearby villages,” he said.
“We want Jheains, and especially departments related to Islamic affairs, to strictly examine this matter because it involves the interests of the Muslim community,” he said.
