KUCHING: There has been no complaints whatsoever regarding lands taken back by the state government under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code (SLA), said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He emphasised that perimeter surveys of native customary rights (NCR) land under Section 6 of the SLA were based on request.
“If there is a request, we have a dialogue first and hold discussions. After all parties have agreed, then we carry out the perimeter surveys,” he said during an interview at the State Legislative Assembly building yesterday.
“If the owners want their land surveyed, they must request the government to do it,” he said, adding that this required the cooperation of all parties.
The Urban Development and Resources (II) Minister could not understand how and why various groups could consider the application of Section 6 a tactic for the state government to take over NCR land.
He mentioned that many have recommended directly surveying individual lots and not the perimeter surveys.
He stressed that the surveying of individual NCR land had been done since the 1960’s and the process was very slow.
“If I’m not mistaken, we only managed to survey only around 200,000 hectares in the 50 years. Now with the new method of perimeter surveys, we have done over 800,000 hectares in fewer than ten years.”
Awang Tengah highlighted the importance of such procedures to prevent land disputes.
“When I issue gazette documents under Section 6, I once said if some people did not believe them to genuinely show the land was their right, they could return it. Up until now, not even one person has returned it,” he said.
Instead, he revealed that many had come forward to ask for perimeter surveys of their land, and upon being gazetted under Section 6, many had requested for their land to be surveyed individually.
The Bukit Sari assemblyman pointed out that land was always needed for public facilities.
“Sometimes they involve land already owned, sometimes they involve NCR land. If they are required, the state government would give compensation at a very reasonable rate,” he said.
He stressed the importance of Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code, as the perimeter surveys determined the boundaries between NCR land and state land.
“Only senseless people do not understand. Why would the government want to take their land?” Awang Tengah wondered.
“We will focus on perimeter surveys of NCR land. The state government has allocated RM40 million to continue the surveys under Section 6 and Section 18.”
He recalled that although the previous federal government knew that land was a state matter, it still provided financial assistance since 2010.
“In the federal 2020 Budget, no money was allocated for perimeter surveys of NCR land,” he said.
