Latest news with #ConstitutionofForestReservesandAmendment)Enactment2025
Daily Express
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Proper legal status for 40 villages in seven districts
Published on: Wednesday, July 09, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 09, 2025 By: Sherell Jeffrey Text Size: Nizam said the new law would benefit some 12,012 people living in 40 villages across Sipitang, Tenom, Kemabong, Tawau, Kalabakan, Ranau and Pitas. Kota Kinabalu: Forty villages in seven districts will finally have proper legal status after the State Assembly on Tuesday approved the removal of forest reserve boundaries affecting their communities. Tabling the Forest (Constitution of Forest Reserves and Amendment) Enactment 2025, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan said locals have been living in these villages for a very long time. 'The people living there are genuine Sabahans who need the Government's help to get proper land for their homes,' he said. He said the new law would benefit some 12,012 people living in 40 villages across Sipitang, Tenom, Kemabong, Tawau, Kalabakan, Ranau and Pitas. The new law allows the Government to remove about 16,729 hectares from 10 different forest reserves. Some villages like Kampung Mukandot-Luasong in Kalabakan have been there since 1985. 'We are not doing this without good reason,' said Nizam. 'This is for the good of the people, especially rural families who need land for their homes and to make a living. We studied this carefully and have strong reasons to support our State's development,' he added. The biggest changes will happen in several key places. The largest chunk of 15,978 hectares from the Sipitang area will help 36 villages in Sipitang, Tenom and Kemabong get proper land for their daily needs. In the Pitas area, 158 hectares will help villages like Kampung Layak-Layak, Kampung Kedinga and Kampung Mapan Mapan get proper status, schools and public facilities. The Ranau area will see 55 hectares helping three villages, including Kampung Penulangon, Kampung Wallou and Kampung Kanowahon get legal recognition. For border security, 20 hectares will be used to build an Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security complex at the Malaysia-Indonesia border, while another three hectares will replace land used for a military post. Additionally, 320.9 hectares will be given to the Sabah Forestry Development Authority to manage under existing laws. Other villages will benefit from smaller areas, including three hectares in Kudat, due to land overlap issues, 28 hectares for Kampung Sungai Udin in Tawau, 162 hectares for Kampung Mukandot-Luasong in Kalabakan and a hectare for Kampung Sungai Tongkang Lama in Sebatik which already has a clinic, shop and houses. Despite helping so many communities, Nizam assured that the environment will still be protected. 'Taking away about 16,729 hectares does not really change much compared to the total forest area when we think about helping our people and developing our State,' he said. Nizam said this represents only a 0.47 per cent decrease in Sabah's total forest area, dropping from 3,575,034.573 hectares in 2024 to 3,558,325.673 hectares. He assured that the State Government has already found other government land to replace the forest areas being removed. 'The Government, through the Land and Revenue Department, Sabah Forestry Department and Lands and Surveys Department, has already found suitable government land of the same size to replace the forest areas we are removing,' he said. 'The Government is also working to declare more areas as protected zones under existing forest laws. This will increase Sabah's Totally Protected Area to about 2.227 million hectares, or about 30.06 per cent of Sabah's total land,' he added. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Sabah to carve 23ha out of Serudong forest reserve to build CIQS complex, military post
KOTA KINABALU: A 23ha piece of land will be carved out of the Serudong Forest Reserve Class I to develop security facilities in Kalabakan, Tawau. This is possible with the passing of the Forests (Constitution of Forest Reserves and Amendment) Enactment 2025 at the Sabah Legislative Assembly. The Serudong Customs, Immigration, Quarantine and Security Complex will be built on 20ha of land and a military control post will be built on 3ha of land. A 20ha piece of forest land in Serudong, to be named Sungai Serudong (Extension) Forest Reserve Class I, will replace the portion used for development. Serudong is set to become a key transit point connecting Malaysia and Indonesia. Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Titingan tabled the bill. The amended enactment will also allow the carving of a portion of the Sungai Tiagau (Extension), Trus Madi, Sipitang, Umas-Umas and Bengkoka Peninsula forest reserves for village development. A 3ha piece of land from the Kudat Forest Reserve Class V will be excised as the area overlaps with the land titles for a silica plant project in Kudat. During the tabling, Nizam said the state government was gazetting several forest reserves and state land areas as protected areas. With the gazettement of protected areas under Section 5A of the Forest Enactment 1968, Totally Protected Areas (TPA) in Sabah will increase to about 2.227 million hectares, or about 30.06 per cent of Sabah's total land area. "Once this process is completed, it will fulfil the state government's target under the 2018 Sabah Forest Policy, which aims to gazette 30 per cent of the state's land as TPAs by 2025. "This achievement will enhance Sabah's reputation as a state with the largest protected area coverage in Malaysia."
