KUCHING: The Land and Survey Department (LSD) appreciates cooperation from any party, including Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA), in implementing native customary rights (NCR) perimeter survey programme under the new initiative.
In a statement yesterday, the LSD said application to join the programme could be submitted through DBNA, but NCR land claimants from the Bidayuh community could also submit their application directly to the department.
LSD said this was in line with the existing procedure publicised during the dialogue, and through brochures distributed from time to time.
“For example, survey works in Ri’ih area in Samarahan had been successfully implemented for both phases of survey through direct application to LSD.
“Whereas for applications done through DBNA such as Skuduk and Pisa, Kuching, both phases of survey were successfully implemented.
“This means that the LSD is open to cooperation from any party in the effort to ensure the NCR perimeter survey under this programme can be implemented smoothly.”
The LSD was responding to a Borneo Post article yesterday entitled ‘Bidayuhs encouraged to let DBNA document their NCR lands’.
LSD said for the whole state covering the Bumiputera community, 436 areas covering 654,223 hectares (1,616,585 acres) of land had undergone perimeter survey.
This comprised 90 per cent of areas targeted or 730,000 hectares as of end of this year.
“Individual lot survey could normally only be conducted after completion of perimeter survey, but due to requests from NCR land claimants, LSD conducted the individual lot survey
earlier.”
LSD said 14 areas had been individually surveyed involving a total of 3,772 lots, and they had been issued individual land titles under Section 18 of the state Land Code.
As for the Bidayuh community as a whole, a total of 50 areas covering 98,810 hectares (244,060 acres) of land had been surveyed in the first phase of perimeter survey under this programme.
Besides that, 14 areas are undergoing perimeter survey that involves areas estimated to be 36,504 hectares (90,164 acres).
As for the individual lot survey, three areas covering 1,141 land titles under Section 18 of the state Land Code had been issued through the same
programme.
“One more area, that is Kpg Gorog/Sibuloh Bau is in the process of being individually surveyed to cover an area of 2,303 hectares (5,691 acres).”
LSD said this new initiative NCR land survey is a continuous effort by the government in recognising native customary rights that will be continued in the 11th Malaysia Plan.