Uggah performs the ‘manggol’ ceremony.
SELANGAU: Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) is not involved with timber extraction from land it is going to develop under its scheme.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who stated this, stressed that Salcra focuses on land development and not timber extraction.
“There is another party who will do the extraction. Whoever does the extraction of timber, the land owner must agree and be paid.
“We don’t want this to be a big problem where people just steal their timber without benefitting the land owners,” he told reporters when met after officiating at a meet-the-people session at Rumah Joseph Serang in Sekuau resettlement scheme here yesterday.
Earlier, he performed the ‘manggol’ (land clearing) ceremony to mark the start of Phase 1 of oil palm planting project under Salcra in Sekuau.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, was explaining a controversy between two groups of land owners in Sekuau.
One group had signed up to join the oil palm scheme by Salcra while the other group – claiming to be from Sekuau Area Development Committee – opposed the project.
“Controversy arises when there is timber in the land. Salcra is not involved with the extraction.
“But in some areas where there is good timber, we do advise them to sell the timber,” he said, adding that this ought to be done properly.
“Salcra will come to negotiate with the land owner,” he pointed out.
An area of 800 hectares will be planted with oil palm under Phase 1 of the project.
Also present were former deputy chief minister Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Alfred Jabu Numpang, Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datu Rolland Sagah Wee Inn, Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Penguang Manggil, Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik and Salcra general manager Datu Vasco Sabat Singkang.