Ik Pahon (second right) is seen with the village chiefs of Kampung Daun, Kampung Bowang, and Kampung Senibung after they received their land titles.
KUCHING: Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) will follow up on its Land Documentation Project by organising more workshops this year to forge better understanding of its objectives.
The first of the workshops for this year will be held tomorrow (Jan 26) at the DBNA Multipurpose Hall, Jalan Kumpang.
Some 200 participants consisting community leaders, DBNA supreme council members, branch chairmen, and land documentation committee members are expected to attend.
DBNA president Datu Ik Pahon Joyik said DBNA began the Land Documentation Project for Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in 2007.
“There are a lot of challenges along the way but DBNA is determined to move on as there are already some success stories. We want to ensure that the Bidayuh community will have a share of the RM40 million allocation from the state for NCR land surveying as recently announced by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“Therefore, a few more workshops will be held this year for this purpose,” he said.
Papers to be presented at the workshop will be ‘Sharing on the DBNA Land Documentation Journey since 2007’ by Ik Pahon and DBNA deputy president Charlie Ungang, who is also NCR Land Documentation Project chairman.
A briefing on the ‘Progress of Perimeter Survey in Bidayuh areas under Section 6 and Individual Lot Under Section 18 and Issues and Challenges’ will be presented by officers from the Land and Survey Department’s offices in Kuching, Serian, and Samarahan divisions.
Paper 3 will be ‘Sharing Sessions by Kampung Petag Padawan land bureau and Kampung Pichin, Serian land bureau’ on their survey experience under Section 18.
The highlight of the workshop will be a panel discussion ‘Charting the Next Course of Action’, to be chaired by DBNA advisor Dato Sri Michael Manyin, who is also Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research.
It has been reported that several Bidayuh villages have been given titles under Sections 6 and 18 of the Land Code, which are success stories of the NCR Land Documentation Project.
DBNA believes many more will follow, as the response from the villages to register under the Land Documentation Project has been overwhelming following the success of villages in Serian and Singai.
Land titles under Section 6 and 18 of the Sarawak Land Code were presented at Kampung Pichin, Serian on Dec 14 last year, while NCR land titles and communal reserve title were presented on Jan 19 in Singai, Bau.