KUCHING: The Sarawak government has always recognised and safeguarded the people’s right to the Native Customary Right (NCR) land, provided that it is valid and established under the provisions of existing land laws.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said that through the New NCR Land Survey Initiative, carried out from October 2010 to April 30 this year, ??1,200,766 hectares or 2,967,093 acres have been surveyed.
“Of that total, about 935,760 hectares or 2,312,263 acres have been gazetted as Native Communal Reserve (Agriculture) under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code. This survey work is based on applications from the parties involved,“ he said when winding up for the Natural Resources and Urban Development Ministry at the State Assembly sitting here today.
Awang Tengah, who is also Sarawak’s Second Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development, said that since 2017, the survey has also focused on individual lots for the issuance of title deeds under Section 18 of the state’s land code.
“As of April 30 this year, a total of 99,438 individual lots have been successfully surveyed, involving an area of ??118,749 hectares or 293,429 acres that have and will be issued land title deeds under section 18.
“To expedite the survey of individual lots of NCR land, the claimants must be present during the survey of the area concerned, mark their land boundaries clearly and avoid disputes so that the survey can be done more smoothly,“ he said.
The Sarawak government, he added, is committed to ensuring the continuity of the survey programme and will continue to provide the funds needed, in addition to the funds received from the federal government.
