Nanta (seated fifth left) posing with the Tuai Rumah who received their Letter of Appointment yesterday, other community leaders and heads of departments.
KAPIT: Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi hopes that the state government will be able to table the amendment to the Sarawak Land Ordinance on ‘pulau galau’ and ‘pemakai menoa’ during the next State Legislative Assembly sitting.
He said he would be very happy if the land ordinance is amended so that those who have legitimate claims would get what is supposed to be theirs.
“I as a Dayak and an Iban know about ‘pulau galau’ and ‘pemakai menoa’. Even though the Federal Court has made a decision, I believe the Court may have made the decision based on what was laid before it.
“But as far as I am concerned, ‘pulau galau’ and ‘pemakai menoa’ are indeed what we as Dayak are entitled to. It is our tradition that has been passed on and still practised to this day,” he stressed.
Nanta was prompted by reporters for his views on the two categories of land after a function at the District Office here yesterday. He further said as a member of the government, he believed that the government should feel for the people especially the poor ones living in longhouses and not consider the two categories of land as state land which sometimes were given to certain people.
“They only asked for land that belongs to them. It is not a loss to the government because it belongs to the people.
“Perhaps, after that we can have a programme to help them develop the ‘pulau galau’ and ‘pemakai menoa’ to be productive,” he elaborated.
“I believe all in all, ‘pulau galau or pemakai menoa’ do not constitute much of the state’s land.
“But to out rightly say that ‘pulau galau and pemakai menoa’ are not recognised, I strongly disagree with that,” he added.
However, he said he was very much assured by the statement by the Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, which he repeated many times that he would continue with what the former chief minister the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem had set up to do on the issue.
“Also, he has appointed Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Umbas to head the committee to resolve the ‘pulau galau and pemakai menoa’ issue,” Nanta added.
He appealed to the Dayak community to give Uggah a bit more time to find the best solution to the issue.