Paulus Palu Gumbang
KUCHING: Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (National Unity and Social Wellbeing) Senator Waytha Moorty Ponnusamy should check his facts first before telling Sarawak natives that their elected representatives and leaders have not done enough to solve land issues faced by them.
“As the minister in charge of unity, Waytha needs to look for ways to facilitate the healing process in the country after the intense campaigning by both sides of the political divide prior to the May 9 general election,” said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Backbenchers chairman Paulus Palu Gumbang, adding that Waytha should not be making statements that could lead to further division among Malaysians.
“He (Waytha) should have first make a courtesy call on the Sarawak government if he does not know the facts and find out what are the local sensitivities in Sarawak,” Paulus said when giving his reaction to the minister’s statement on native land issues.
When officiating at the national-level World Indigenous People Day celebration at the Redeems Centre in Singai, Bau near here on Thursday, Waytha said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government would put a stop to the bullying of natives by land developers and plantation companies whenever there was a land dispute.
Waytha claimed that the developers and companies then would have the excuse to enter the disputed land as they were given provisional leases by the Sarawak government.
On this, Paulus said the native land issues in Sarawak, however, were solved when in the last Sarawak State Legislative Assembly sitting, members of the August house passed the Land Code Amendment Bill 2018, which became law.
The provision of the amended law states that the Iban customs of ‘Pemakai Menua’ and ‘Pulau Galau’ (communal domain and forest reserves, respectively) on land would be given the force of law once the claimants receive the approval from the Land and Survey Department Sarawak director, stating that it is native territorial domain (NTD), he added.
The provision on NTD also applies to Bumiputera communities other than the Ibans, he pointed out.