MUKAH: Over 780,000 hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land were gazetted in just ten years from 2010 after a more efficient system was put in place.
And the Land and Survey department has thus far already surveyed more than one million hectares of such land throughout Sarawak.
This is a far cry from the estimated 260,000 hectares surveyed in 50 years between the 1960s and 2010.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who revealed this said thus a new approach was found to speed up the measurement of customary land.
This is ensure there are no fights, encroachment and we guarantee this land, he said.
“Since 2010, we have launched the new initiative to survey customary land in stages, first through perimeter measurements and secondly individually according to Section 18 of the Land Code which has the privilege of a permanent tenure and does not entail paying premiums,” he added.
Awang Tengah was speaking at the handing over of land title letters and Village Expansion Scheme (SPK) residential approval letters in the Tellian constituency at Kingwood Resort here.
All these moves, he argued, is ample proof that the Sarawak government would always recognise NCR land in the state.
“Many say the government does not care about this land issue, that it just wants to seize the land, that’s just an accusation, let alone now in the period leading up to the 12th State Election,” he said, predicting this issue would continue to be recycled by the opposition.
