Freeze on Bako land lifted

(Bernama) – KUCHING, Feb 26 — The freeze on about 3,000 acres of land in Bako near here is to be lifted to facilitate a master plan for development, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said.

Taib said the area would be developed by the private sector in collaboration with the landowners according to a master plan drawn up by the state government.

“I will free all the Bako land so it could be developed according to the plan and will include industrial and residential sites, infrastructure, parks and gardens,” he said at a Chinese New Year gathering organised by the Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry here last night.

The Bako land has been frozen for more than 30 years now under Section 47 of the Sarawak Land Code which is a public notice that the land may be required for a public purpose and could not be developed in the meantime.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said that it was up to the owners whether they wanted to develop the Bako land themselves.

“The landowners can form their own company to develop the land. But we hope they will develop it according to the master plan,” he said. — Bernama