BY ALEXANDRA LORNA & NATASHA JEE
BINTULU: The state Land and Survey has successfully surveyed more than 1.2 million hectares or 2.67 million acres of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in Sarawak.
Of these, 862,715 hectares (2.13 million acres) have been gazetted under Section 6 of the State Land Code as of September, 2023.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said in Bintulu, 79,987 hectares (197,648 acres) have been surveyed of which 54,249 hectares (134,049 acres) have been gazetted under Section 6, of the Land Code.
“We have also completed the measurement of individual lots throughout Sarawak, and up to now, 93,093 hectares (230,030 acres) have been surveyed involving a total of 76,711 individual lots.
“This is an ongoing effort by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to ensure that all Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands are surveyed and the title deeds issued.”
He said this in his opening speech at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) 2023 Northern Zone Special Convention at Bintulu Civic Centre today.
Awang Tengah who is also the Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development said that the effort also included the measurement of traditional villages and longhouse areas.
“Under the NCR land survey, the GPS government does not charge any fee to the land owner.
“In fact, the government has also approved an amendment to the Sarawak Land Code in 2018 which recognises community rights over land known as Native Territorial Domain even though the Federal Court ruled that Pulau Galau and Pemakai Menoa has no force of law with regard to the land ownership.
“This shows the sincerity and honesty of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and the GPS government,” Awang Tengah said.
