KENINGAU: Hakisan Sungai Pegalan yang semakin tidak terkawal, bakal memusnahkan masa depan beribu petani di kawasan Trans Pegalan, selepas beribu hektar tanah sawah mereka dimamah sungai itu.

“Kami semakin kehilangan tanah sawah,” jelas seorang penduduk di Kg. Marampong yang enggan namanya dipetik, sambil mendedahkan, sebahagian Sungai Pegalan di sepanjang 21 buah kampung dalam kawasan itu adalah tanah sawah petani yang bergeran.

Penduduk itu berkata, sejak lebih 30 tahun yang lalu hakisan sungai itu telah memusnahkan tanah penduduk secara perlahan-lahan.

“Dalam tempoh beberapa tahun ini, kami pasti akan kehilangan tanah jika hakisan itu tidak dibendung,” tambahnya sedih.

Petani di Kg. Pantai Baru, Baginda, Tigot, Panagatan Ulu, Panagatan Laut dan Toboh Baru, menyuarakan rungutan yang sama, dan meminta kerajaan agar menambak tebing sungai itu dengan segera.

“Struktur sungai itu perlu diselenggara,” jelas seorang petani yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Joseph.

Menurut petani itu, penambakan tebing dari Kg. Marampong hingga ke Kg. Limbawan Keningau, merupakan kaedah terbaik untuk menyelamatkan tanah-tanah petani yang semakin terancam.

Hakisan tebing Sungai Pegalan semakin teruk ketika daerah ini dilanda bencana Greg pada tahun 1996, dan kejadian banjir yang berlaku selepas itu sehingga kini mengakibatkan beribu hektar tanah sawah penduduk musnah.

Mengikut rekod, berpuluh rumah yang pada asalnnya didirikan dalam kawasan lot tanah, musnah selepas dihakis oleh sungai itu.

Lima tahun yang sudah, rancangan menambak tebing sungai itu pernah diwar-warkan, namun petani mendakwa sehingga sekarang ‘rancangan’ tersebut belum ditunaikan.

Rancangan penambakan tebing sungai itu termasuk dalam janji pilihan raya yang lalu, dan petani mendesak agar kerajaan melakukan sesuatu supaya Sungai Pegalan bukan ancaman kepada mereka.

“Sungai Pegalan perlu kepada petani, tetapi sebaliknya ia menjadi musuh utama, jika dibirakan terus menghakis tanah-tanah sawah kami,” jelas seorang penduduk Kg. Toboh Laut.

Sumber:

New Sabah Times (2009). Petani di Trans Pegalan bakal musnah kerana hakisan  sungai. Retrieved April, 22, 2009 from New Sabah Times website:   http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/28063.htm

Keningau: Some RM1 million derived from last year's production income will be distributed to 903 members of the Oil Palm Co-operative of Kandang Besar Bingkor (KSKBB).

The balance RM400,000 will be given out after the audit is done.

Sabah Land Development Board (SLBD) Chairman, Datuk Sapawi Haji Ahmad, presented a RM1 million cheque to the co-operative's Deputy Chairman, Mike Galas, at a ceremony held here Monday.

It was the third distribution of dividends by the co-operative, which has 903 members, operates 191 hectares (414 acres) cultivated with oil palm in 1998. Three payments were made in 2007 involving about RM800,000.

The dividend for last year increased due to the increase in profit to RM1.4 million.

SLDB is also involved in several paddy-planting projects throughout Sabah, said Sapawi, adding that currently paddy fields are already opened in Sook and Membakut to assist the rural folks in increasing their income.

For commercial purposes, SLDB also proposed to develop 3,000 acres in Kota Belud.

On the SLDB project in Kg Dalit, SLDB also has 17,000 hectares (about 42,000 acres) of oil palm located about 45km from Keningau town.

Its General Manager, Jhuvarri Majid, said this project was implemented smoothly as planned.

He hoped the people would also not believe in rumours that SLDB projects were controlled by a company, saying this was not true.

He also disproved the claim that only 2,000 acres from the total 5,000 acres allocated for the settlers were given for the SLDB staff and welfare purposes.

Jhuvarri also refuted claims that SLDB was buying oil palm fruits from the settlers much cheaper than the market price.

"SLDB has never reduced the production income of the settlers," he said, adding what had been reported in the newspapers was by irresponsible individual(s) and therefore the settlers should not easily believe such news.

Source:

Daily express news. RM1mil for 903 members of Bingkor oil palm co-op. Retrieved April 16, from Daily     Express news website: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=64216.html