The opposition resorted to claiming that providing gazetted land to the people in the state is a government gimmick because their propaganda has been proven false.

Chief Minister Adenan Satem said gazetted land was allocated in the villages so that the ownership of these lands could not be questioned by any quarters.

“How can we (government) take the lands if they are already gazetted and even if they are taken, these will involve compensation?” he said.

He was speaking at the presentation of the bumiputera communal reserve land titles under section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code and Pan-Borneo Highway project land compensation cheques at the Sibu Civic Centre in Sibu today.

Adenan, who officially opened the function, was obviously not amused with the opposition’s wild allegations that claimed the state government seized land belonging to the people.

Adenan, who is also state Barisan Nasional chairperson, said these allegations were nothing more than the opposition’s false propoganda.

“The event today is proof that the government does not simply seize land belonging to the people without compensation,” he said.

A total of 783 land owners affected by the construction of the Pan-Borneo Highway project in the Sibu region received land compensation worth RM25,641,884.29.

“I am sorry, we cannot built roads in the air. If the opposition is so smart, ask them to build a 1,000km road in the air,” he said when referring to the Pan-Borneo Highway project.

Adenan also presented communal reserve land titles to 10 longhouse headmen from Dijih Ulu, Tamin and six longhouse headmen from Pasir Terabai, Nanga Tamin, Batang Oya, both located in Selangau.

- Bernama