OVER 3,000 NATIVE LAND TITLES HANDED OVER TO SABAHANS THIS YEAR - CM

LAHAD DATU, Aug 9 -- Over 3,000 Sabah native land titles have been granted to Sabahans this year, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

He said the land titles were handed over to among others residents of Tawau, Kalabakan, Keningau and Tambunan.

"We will make sure that the Sabah Land and Survey Department (JTU) properly manage all the land ownership grant applications submitted.

"Previously, we have handed over land grants to the residents of Keningau (2,300), Tambunan (500) Kalabakan and Tawau (318)," he said in his speech at the handing over ceremony of land titles to 259 residents of Kunak and Lahad Datu here today.

At the event, he also handed over native land titles to 93 Tungku sub-district residents and 800 lots of settlements to Felda Sahabat settlers.

Mohd Shafie is also scheduled to hand over the land titles to residents of Kinabatangan, Kuala Penyu and Beluran next week.

Meanwhile, he said Petronas has yet to make any sales tax payments on petroleum products to the state.

"Other companies such as Shell and ConocoPhillips have paid the five per cent tax," he said adding that the state government would ensure that Petronas would do the same.

In April, Mohd Shafie said that the Sabah government would start collecting the five per cent sales tax on petroleum products in the state.

The companies operating in Sabah are Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd, Repsol Oil&Gas Malaysia Limited, PTTEP Sabah Oil Limited, ConocoPhillips Asia Limited, Sabah Shell Petroleum Company, PT Pertamina Malaysia Eksplorasi Producksi, Shell Energy Asia Limited and Petronas Floating LNG

-- BERNAMA