Safoda is a statutory body under the chief minister’s department.

Speaking on behalf of the affected residents, Bengkoka ancestral action working committee chairman Raneld Saimon said Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor had recently announced that the land would be returned to six villages in Pitas but this did not include the 59 villages.

The land under dispute had been gazetted for the planting of acacia trees for timber by the Sabah government in the 1980s.

“According to the villagers, the village land was only lent to Safoda for temporary use until the acacia trees were harvested. We consider this a manipulation of the law as the villagers at that time were uneducated.”

Due to the unkept promises, Raneld said the 59 villages had been demanding their land back from Safoda.

The dispute has led to quarrels and crop destruction.

The residents set up the action working committee in 2017. In the same year, Raneld said, Safoda and Acacia Forest Industries Sdn Bhd filed a suit against three individuals and the residents involved in the land dispute.

“However, the court ruled in favour of the residents. The court rejected the Safoda suit after finding out that the area was under bumiputera customary rights,” he said.

Starting this year, he said Safoda had been actively conducting surveys to get the land grants.

“We consider this as another encroachment into indigenous land.”

Recently, the residents held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Safoda office in Bongkol Pitas and submitted an objection letter against the survey to get grants to the land.

“We hope the state government, especially the chief minister, will return all the land to the villagers — not just the six villages announced by him,” he added.