Anwar taken to task over claims hat land office asked for bank account details of Batang Ai residents
KUCHING: The residents of Batang Ai were never asked to give their bank account details to the Land and Survey Department, as claimed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said the residents were only asked to give copies of their identity cards because the department wanted to update its data and records.
According to the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, a sample of the letter of the department dated March 13, 2009 to a longhouse chief at Nanga Ukom, Lubok Antu did not request for bank account details.
Describing the accusation by Anwar as very serious, he said it was just the opposition’s tactic to stir emotions in the run-up to the Batang Ai by-election.
“I’m not surprised Anwar had picked on the issue, because he would do anything to sensationalise it,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Earlier, in a press conference held at PRS headquarters in Jalan Pending here, Masing said the Land and Survey Department was in the process of updating its data and records for the Batang Ai Resettlement Scheme area.
He said the department requested for copies of identity cards to enable it to do its job properly, especially in surveying land and the eventual issuance of land titles.
“There is no need for bank account numbers to issue land titles,” he said.
Masing, who is the by-election’s director of operations, said it was instead the opposition which had been giving out bank account numbers for the purpose of raising funds for their candidate in Batang Ai.
“The only people giving bank account numbers now for the by-election are the opposition, through bloggers,” he said.
Masing was commenting on allegations made by Anwar in Kuching on Monday on abuse of power and corruption by BN government to ‘buy’ votes through the department.
Anwar claimed PKR Lubok Antu division chief Nicholas Bawin had told him that the department’s divisional office in Sri Aman had sent out letters to many Iban voters asking them for copies of their identity cards as well as their bank account details.
Meanwhile, Masing said the Land and Survey Department had also been asked to conduct a census on expanded families in the Batang Ai Resettlement Scheme.
He said ever since residents moved there in 1985, the exact number of new families was not known and this had caused them to be deprived of amenities.
He added that this was the reason behind some houses in that area being without electricity despite being located near the Batang Ai hydroelectric dam.
“That’s why we need to do a census. Once we know the results, we would be able to plan how to assist these people not only in terms of amenities, but how to assist them with land for their farming activities,” he said.
He said Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Joseph Entulu, who is PRS deputy president, would assist by getting funds for the planned projects once the survey was completed.
On other issues likely to be raised by the opposition, he said they might harp on big companies grabbing native land in Batang Ai. He, however, did not think this would be a problem because the opposition could not provide proof of any cases of land-grabbing there.
“The grabbing of native land never existed in Batang Ai. If there are cases, we would know and help them,” he said.
--Borneo Post
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