|
8th May, 2008
KUNAK : He led a group of smallholders in Kunak,Sabah to lodge 40 police reports againts illegal immigrants who doubled as thugs for a real-estate company which allegedly seized their 787 hectares of oil palm plantation.
Wishing to be known only as Lee,the man also contacted BERNAMA which highlighted his plight and those of the other smallholders in April.
Lee,56,had no inkling that he would pay a heavy price for contacting the police and the media.
Two days ago,Lee who is also a smallholder,was having tea at a restaurant near Simpang Empat,Kunak,when he was confronted by three men.
“One of them,sporting a tatoo on his arm,asked me why i went to the police and the media to complain about the land grab.
“Before I could reply,the man struck my face and pushed me to the ground.At that juncture,the trio,wearing safety boots,kicked me repeatedly in the head and body.
“I was creaming for help but none came to my rescue.Fortunately,I managed to escape in my car,despite being chased for several kilometres by the thugs who drove two four-wheel drive vehicles,” he told BERNAMA here yesterday.
Lee,who suffered injuries on the face and eyes,claimed his assailants told him that he was beaten up as punishement for revealing the land seizure to the media.
He has lodged a police report on the assault at Semporna police station.
Last month,BERNAMA reported that a top-ranking senior law enforcement officer,holding the title of ‘Datuk’, was being investigated for allegedly offering “protection services” to a real estate company which allegedly seized 787 hectares (about 4,000 acres) of oil palm plantations belonging to 171 smallholders in Kunak.
The said company was said to have employed more than 100 illegal immigrants to seize the land and restrain the smallholders from entering the land by using attack dogs,samurai swords and shotguns.
The thugs stayed in makeshift huts to carry out 24-hour patrols to guard the entrance to the plantations.
Lee said “Despite informing the media of our plight,the authorities have not lifted a finger to help us.
“Currently,the number of illegal immigrants doubling as thugs to work for the company has also doubled.”
|
