DAP Miri branch chairman Fong Pau Teck indicated in a press conference today, certainly it was not Mr. Fong "himself" to oppose the reconstruction of the high street commercial shop lots, instead, "the shop owners" opposed, PT Fong only spoke out the aspiration of the majority shop owners. Mr Fong also pointed out that, he had interviewed some shop owners, included a famous person, Mr Ma, in Miri, he also opposed the reconstruction. The shop owner, Mr Ma said his shop will not collapse even though passes through another 100 years, therefore, reconstruction is not necessary. According to Mr Ma, only minor repair will do, such as to change the roofs as well as to made a firewall, to change the lignin floors so as the water pipes and the electrical wires.
This unnecessary reconstruction will at least make the shop owners lost more than 300 thousands (more than a year's rental loss and nearly 200 thousands reconstruction fees). This is simply to waste the people’s hard earn money.
On 16 Nov 2006, Dato' Sim沈福源 expressed in the press: "the owners of the old shop area, because of the structure of the shops has already worn out, the appearance is not pleasing to the eyes, and this is entirely uncoordinated with the development of the whole city, therefore, they( the shop owners) actively proposed to have the renovation project, and apply to prolong the land titles from the government.
But after a few days, on 22 Nov 2006, CM expressed, he was informed that a group of merchants from Miri High Street wanted to renew their land titles urgently. He told Dr Chan副首長陳康南 that unless these commercial shops have been reconstructed, otherwise, he will not authorize them to renew the land titles. He said, “These shops are very old, they constructed at the year of 1950s. Miri has become a modern city now, if allow them to renew the land titles automatically, this will cause recession in the future, the value of the related shops and area will depreciate."
A year later, on 30 Nov 2007, Mr Sim expressed in the newspaper, shops which had been constructed during British colony, due to the building materials cannot be achieved the safety standard, there might be a possibility to collapse in the future, therefore, decided to have them reconstruct. (30 Nov 2007 United Daily)
The people feel confused about this, CM's words clearly indicated the reason for the reconstruction of the shops and he had never mentioned that the shops in this area might face the collapse problem in the future. If there is really such a matter, did the state government appoint any experts to investigate the old shops in Miri? Are there any assessment documents to prove that the shops in the concerned area will face the crisis to collapse? The buildings during British colony, the standard was definitely according to the local construction standard in England, if the shops in such area will face this problem after few decades, does this mean that the buildings in England or those were built in the Common Wealth countries during British colony will also face the problem? If the answer is firm, all the buildings which are over 60 years should also be reconstructed then, will not the demolished waste materials make our earth burden deeply?
If the decision of the reconstruction for Miri old shops, which is without any experts' assessment documents support, means any title of the buildings which almost expiry and intend to renew the land titles, will probably face the misfortune and be ordered to reconstruct. How could the people bear with the heavy cost of renewal plus the reconstruction fees?
Only amend the land code, allowing automatic renewal for the land titles 99 years on the expiry date, can only safeguard the people's rights and interests. The properties of the people will only then cannot be confiscated casually by the government. Besides the above problems in which relate to the Sarawak Land Code, also evolving the problem of corruption as well as the abusing of power.
Fong Pau Teck
Education: Educated in a Chinese primary school in Sibu. Obtained a Bachelor degree in Economics in the Soochow University in Taiwan, ROC, (台灣東吳大學) in the year 1997, and Master degree of Msc in Risk Management in the University of Southampton in England in the year 2001.
Political profile: Joined DAP in 2002.
Contested in 2006 Sarawak state election and 2008 Malaysia parliament election. 2011~ State Assemblyman
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