Sabah to investigate reports on land grabbing by businessmen
05/07/2007 The Star

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will conduct an internal probe on claims of alleged grabbing of land by businessmen using "gangsters" in which victims claimed that police failed to act on many reports lodged over the past 15 years.

Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman, in welcoming a Bukit Aman probe on the matter, said that he has directed the relevant state agencies to look into matter to assess the issues and problems involved.

Musa said that the state agencies would cooperate with the police in "getting to the bottom" of the allegations that was brought to the attention of Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan by a victim.

"Let the police investigate and get to the bottom of the allegations. The state government will not protect anyone if they have broken the laws of the country," he told reporters here.

He was commenting on the IGP's statement that investigations would be carried out on allegations that some unscrupulous companies used gangsters and forged documents to acquire thousands of hectares of land from locals over the past 15 years.

The allegations claimed that local police also did not act on police reports lodged over the incidents, especially in Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Kinabatangan, where Indonesians were used to instil fear on local landowners if they resisted.

Meanwhile, newly appointed Sabah Police Commissioner Deputy Comm Noor Rashid Ibrahim said that police were investigating the reports.

"It takes time. We have not made any arrests and it is premature for the moment," he said but declined to comment further.