MIRI: It is about time that a taskforce is set up by the state government to look into the Sarawak Malays’ native customary rights land with regards to the accurate definition of ‘territorial domain’.
A political analyst Dato’ Wan Zain Syed Mohdzar supported a resolution adopted during the seminar on Sarawak Malays Native Customary Rights organised by Ikatan Graduan Melayu Sarawak in collaboration with Amanah Khairat Yayasan Budaya Melayu Sarawak recently.
He said the government is obliged to give due consideration to the demands of the rights of Malays and other ‘bumiputeras’ who were given equal treatment in the right to obtain NCR land in Sarawak.
“We agree that the state government should find ways so that the term ‘Pemakai Menoa’ (territorial domain) and ‘Pulau Galau’ (communal forest reserve) or known as PMPG be given to other ‘bumiputeras’ including the Malays.
“The uniformity of the term does not imply the dislike of other people or races as they also have the right to defend their property that they have inherited from their ancestors in areas such as the coastal villages and the rural areas of Sarawak,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Wan Zain stressed that it would be best if other races were given equal opportunity to use the same term (PMPG) or other terms according to history so that they are also eligible to claim the NCR land.
“The government has accepted and proposed to amend the act to use PMPG as a term to entitle the Dayaks in demanding their right to legally obtain land that they have explored and inherited.
“Thus, I believe the government will give way and try to approve the taskforce proposed by the resolution and to listen to the Malays in the customary right and issue before the Sarawak Land Code (1958) is amended to give way into recognising the term PMPG.
He added that the Malays unfortunately did not get much NCR land compared to other races as most of the village land they are living on have yet to obtain land titles.