It is the owners who oppose the reconstruction of their shops on high street in Miri. 反對大街重建是店主的意願

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.

民主行動黨美里支部主席房保德今天對媒體表示，並不是房保德 “本人” 反對大街的店屋重建，而是 “店主” 反對，房保德只是說出大部份店主的心聲而已。房保德指出，他訪問了一些的店主，包括美里一位有名的馬姓的店主，他們都反對重建。馬姓店主說他的店再經過一百年都不會倒塌，重建是沒有必要的。根據馬姓的店主表示，只要做局部的翻修既可，如翻新屋頂和加建防火牆，木的樓板翻新，水管和電線換新既可。

這沒必要的重建至少讓店主損失超過三十萬令吉(一年多的租金損失和接近二十萬令吉的重建費用)。而且重建後新店的價值(格) 並沒有提高，簡直是勞民傷財。

16/11/06拿督沈福源曾對媒體說： "舊店屋地區的店主，基於店屋結構已殘舊不已，外貌也不美觀，這和美里整個城市的發展不協調，所以，他們（店主）都主動提出翻新工程，並向政府申請延長地契" 。

但 在幾天之後的22/11/06 ，首長丕顯斯里阿都泰益瑪目表示，他被告知，美里大街的一群商家非常迫切想要盡快更新他們的地契，他告訴副首長拿督巴丁宜陳康南，除非這些商店重新修建， 否則他將不會批准他們更新地契。他說： "這些店屋已非常殘舊，它們是在1950年年代建造的。如今美里已經成為一個摩登的城市，如果允許他們自動更新地契，這在未來將會造成肅條，有關商店和地區的價值將貶值" 。

事隔一年後的30/11/07 ，沈福源卻在報章表示，英殖民地時期建設的商店，由於建材問題不合安全標準，日後有可能會面對倒塌，因此決定拆除重建。 （ 30 / 11月7日"聯和日報" ）

民 眾為此感到混淆，首長的談話已清楚表明其指示該區店屋須重新修建的原因根本沒提到該區店屋日後可能面對倒塌的問題。如果真有那麼一回事，州政府有沒有委派任何專家對美里市區舊店屋進行鑑定？有何鑑定文件證明該區店屋日後將面對倒塌的危機？英殖民地時期的建築物，其標準肯定也是根據英國國內的建築標準，如果該區店屋在經過數十年會面臨倒塌危機，那英國國內或曾是英國殖民地的共和聯邦國家的舊建築物是不是都會面臨這樣的危機？如果答案是肯定的話，那經過六十年的建築物都必須拆掉重建，拆除的建築廢料豈不令地球不勝負荷？

如果今天美里舊店屋須拆除重建的決定是沒有任何專家鑑定文件扶持，即意味著日後任何地契即將到期的建築物如欲更新地契年限，將有可能面對被勒令重建的厄運。更新費加上重建的建築費，教人民情何以堪？

唯有在土地契法典內修訂保障人民權益的條文，即地契到期自動更新99年，才能令人民的土地擁有權獲得保障，人民的產業才不會隨隨便便就被政府沒收。現有的土地法典除了上述問題以外，也衍生貪污濫權的問題。