Beaufort villagers face uncertainty as long-standing land dispute escalates

The Star

21-05-2025

KOTA KINABALU: A long-standing land dispute in Kg Jimpangah, Beaufort took a tense and emotional turn today after four houses were demolished while villagers wept outside their homes, fearing more will follow in the days to come.
The incident has drawn widespread attention and criticism after videos of the demolition went viral on social media, showing residents in tears and shouting for help as excavators tore through wooden homes.
Consumers Front of Sabah (CFOS) secretary-general Hashima Hasbullah said that tensions escalated between the landowner and the community in February after the landowner allegedly acted rudely towards the villagers.
Hashima said many of the villagers have lived on the land for generations, dating back to when their grandparents worked as rubber tappers for the British Borneo Para Rubber Coy Ltd.
'When the British left, they allowed the former workers to continue living there. These families have been here since before Merdeka,' she said.
Efforts to secure the land began as early as 1991, when villagers applied to have the 5.34ha site gazetted as a native settlement. The application was never approved, despite several follow-ups.
Over the years, the government built and maintained public infrastructure in the area, including roads, electricity, piped water, and a community hall — which was upgraded to a mini hall in 2021.
However, in 2023, the Land Use Committee (LUC) rejected the gazettement application. Around the same time, the landowner began taking steps to assert ownership of the land.
Most of the 300 villagers rely on odd jobs, work in the private sector, or are low-ranking civil servants. Many have never lived anywhere else.
Hashima said several villagers have been arrested or investigated over the years for defending the land. A lawyer previously representing them later withdrew, leaving them unrepresented in court.
A woman breaks down in tears while watching her house being demolished in Kg Jimpangah.
'So when the eviction notice was served on May 7, and again today, we came in to monitor and help ensure things remained peaceful, without provocation,' she said.
Hashima said she personally brought a group of villagers to meet Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on May 15 to appeal for government intervention.
'The Chief Minister has personally requested the Lands and Surveys Director to seek an amicable resolution, and we understand steps are now underway. Thus, we ask for some compassion and discretion from the landowner. Since the state has promised to act, give it a little time,' she said.
Hashima also said she was disappointed that no elected representatives were present on Wednesday (May 21) to help manage the situation.
Beaufort is located about 90km south of Kota Kinabalu.
One of the villagers, David Ondu, said he was bracing for his house to be next.
'We really didn't expect this to happen. We thought the government had stepped in after we met the Chief Minister. But now four houses are gone, and our turn might come tomorrow.
'What can we do? We're slowly starting to empty our homes,' he said.
The dispute intensified earlier this month when five villagers were arrested under criminal mischief laws for allegedly trespassing and damaging property at the Mini Hall Kg Jimpangah. Villagers said they had only changed the lock and entered to clean the hall, believing it was public property.
The Beaufort District Council later confirmed that the hall falls under the jurisdiction of the local Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK), and the charges were dropped on July 6 after the village committee's legal team sent clarification to the police.
Separately, 15 villagers are being investigated under the Sedition Act after a video showing the landowner's vehicle nearly hitting a villager went viral online.
The land is classified as Country Lease (CL) and was reportedly sold to a company in 2005.
Villagers have called for a temporary halt to the eviction while the state government works on a resolution. However, no response has been received from the landowner.
Meanwhile, Warisan vice-president Terrence Siambun condemned the demolition, describing it as 'inhumane and cruel even if it is carried out legally'.
'The GRS government often says 'Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga', but what we are seeing is destruction and betrayal. That slogan now feels like an empty promise used only to win votes,' he said.
He also questioned the absence of leadership on the ground.
'This should not and cannot happen no matter what the legal justification is. The people of Kg Jimpangah deserve better,' he said.