In a letter to the Prime Minister of Sarawak, Appang Johari Obung, Minister of Federal and Federal Commodities, Johari Abdul Ghani, and three directors from the Sarawak government departments, he called on community representatives to obtain all the land cleansing activities by Urun Plantations SDN BHD to stop them immediately.

“This is not just a local issue,” said Save Rivers, a non -profit company, Save River, said, and who submitted a press statement with his non -profit colleague for the Borneo project, which explains the villagers’ concerns. “It is a test of Sarawak and Malaysia on the world stage.”

Urun Plantations, a subsidiary of Sin Heng Chan (Malaya), listed in the public list, has renewed forests on the original lands of Long Urun since late 2023, according to community members. This continued despite societal procedures, including a court order for the court, horse, contact, reports to the SUHAKAM, and an official complaint with the MSPO.

That is, the removal of forests for new oil palm cultivation since 2019 directly violates the mandatory MSPO standard. Environmental work was unable to reach MSPO for suspension.

The long Oron societies were I filed a complaint To MSPO in May, with highlighting their concerns about free, pre -enlightened and informed (FPIC) and removal of forests. They confirmed that they did not grant their approval to the Village and Security Development Authority in the village of Sarawak, known locally as JKKK, to sell their lands to the farmer company.

“The MSPO has accepted the complaint, and she was conducting an investigation and a field visit last month,” said Viona Maktabin, Director of Communications and the Borneo Project Project, for Eco-Business.

She said: “But no case of endowment or stopping work was placed in its place, so in the three months she made to make a decision, I lost a great deal of forests. For this reason, societies are asking the government to interfere at this time.” “They are tired of waiting and heat.”

Current legal procedures

In the letter dated August 20 and watched environmental works, Penan and Kenyah communities said that Urun farms have also failed to meet the conditions of the company’s temporary lease contract in 1997 and disinfect the forests after the expiration of the required time frame. They said: “The temporary rent requires clearing within 10 years, yet this happens now after more than 25 years.”

Moreover, community members said that the limits of the temporary rental contract were not properly demarcated with free, pre -and enlightened approval. Instead, there were changes to those borders over the time that was made without consulting all villagers.

They said: “Our society’s position was complex through the difference in data from some leaders over time. After they initially agreed to a unified position, some leaders later changed their position after closed doors discussions with the company’s representatives, which led to confusion and tension between the population.”

Societies called on the government to recognize and protect the lands of original customary rights, and stop all development without free, pre -and enlightened approval. They also asked the government to publish all temporary rental maps, demarcation records and environmental impact assessments.

As of Friday, Makadin said that societies have not yet received a response to their message.

Meanwhile, the original villagers also seek to take legal measures to stop the removal of forests in the Plaga region. On June 27, the five individuals of the long Urun communities filed a lawsuit against Urun farms in the BinTulu Supreme Court, claiming the original usual rights more than 54,478 hectares of land in the region. The government of Sarawak and the director of the land department and survey in the province was also included as a defendant.

in The company’s announcement To the stock exchange in Malaysia, Sen Hing Chan said that among the total land area that is competing, about 10872 hectares belong to Urun farms.

“Based on the advice of its lawyer and the facts of the case, the company believes that the claims are likely to be trivial or annoying, without an appropriate basis, and that the company has a good opportunity to succeed against the claimants’ claims,” ​​said Singh Chan.

The company represents a law firm owned by Baro Bayan, a former federal minister and a member of the Legislative Assembly of the state of Sarawak, carrying a Bakkallan seat. The original Penan and Kenyan societies are represented by the human rights lawyer, Abon Sui Il.

Sin Heng Chan has contacted to comment.

Environmental loss “irreversible”

In May, Sin Heng Chan told Malaysiakini local news port that she had not threatened villagers, and she had not carried out forest removal activities.

However, the satellite data from Global Forest Watch from the Borneo project showed that the removal of forests occurred in the disputed area throughout 2024. (See the picture)

Global forest monitoring data from 2024 shows a wide range of original forests. image: Borneo project

The villagers have sought to defend forests using a peaceful siege in recent months, with nine villages in the siege daily. However, they said that the company used the intimidation of the police and dismantling the siege twice since December 2024. Five villagers were arrested.

The Borneo project highlighted that the agreements of the community members that were reached during the negotiations were not honored, as Urun farms failed to conduct a joint survey of the toilets areas before clearing the land, providing incomplete maps and there are no forms available to the public to the farm borders.

In their letters to Sarawak, Prime Minister and other government officials, the long Uron societies urged government governments and federal governments to recognize and protect the lands of original customary rights.

“For generations, these forests were our source of food, clean water, medicine, cultural identity and livelihoods,” they said. “We urge (the government) to act quickly, because every day of delay brings an irreversible loss to our environment and our culture.”