By Daniel John Jambun President
Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS)
KOTA KINABALU: The Change Advocate Movement Sabah (CAMOS) today calls on Parti Warisan to make the establishment of a Sabah Land Tribunal a central pledge in its election manifesto.
For decades, Sabah’s indigenous peoples (Momogun) have faced delayed recognition of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, encroachment by powerful developers, and unfair compensation during state land acquisitions. The court system is often too costly, too slow, and too far removed from rural villagers.
A Land Tribunal offers the solution: a fast, affordable, and accessible mechanism that delivers justice to the people.
📌 1. What is a Land Tribunal?
A Land Tribunal is a special body set up to resolve land disputes in a faster, cheaper, and less complicated way than going through the courts.
📌 2. Why do we need a Land Tribunal in Sabah?
Because indigenous peoples often face:
Delayed recognition of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.
Encroachment and land grabs by developers.
Unfair compensation when land is acquired by the state.
Difficulty accessing courts due to high costs and distance.
A Land Tribunal provides a local, affordable, and fair solution.
📌 3. How will a strengthened Land Tribunal help the indigenous people?
Recognize NCR and recommend Native Title (NT) issuance.
Protect communal native land from arbitrary alienation.
Ensure fair compensation when land is acquired.
Hold hearings in districts and rural areas so natives don’t need to travel far.
Include native customary leaders as Tribunal members to reflect indigenous perspectives.
📌 4. Who will sit in the Land Tribunal?
The proposed Tribunal will have:
A retired judge or senior judicial officer (Chairperson).
A land law expert.
Two native customary leaders representing different ethnic groups.
📌 5. How is this different from the Native Court?
The Native Court deals with customary law, social issues, and traditions.
The Land Tribunal will focus specifically on land disputes, NCR recognition, and compensation matters, with binding legal authority.
📌 6. Will it be affordable for rural natives?
Yes. The proposal calls for:
Low or no filing fees.
State-funded legal aid for natives who need legal help.
Acceptance of oral testimony, maps, and customary evidence instead of only formal documents.
📌 7. What about transparency and accountability?
All Tribunal decisions will be published and accessible to the public.
An independent review mechanism will monitor fairness.
Integration with Native Courts ensures consistency with indigenous customs.
📌 8. What outcomes can we expect?
More secure land ownership for indigenous people.
Reduced land conflicts between natives, government, and developers.
Stronger cultural and heritage protection.
Fairer, faster, and more accessible justice.
📌 9. Why is this urgent?
Land is not just economic property for indigenous peoples — it is our heritage, culture, and identity. Without stronger protections, future generations risk losing their ancestral lands forever.
“Sabah’s indigenous communities must no longer be forced to fight costly legal battles just to defend their birthright. A Land Tribunal is justice made accessible, and Warisan must pledge this reform as a guarantee to the Momogun people,” said CAMOS in a statement.
