Reps: Expedite issuance of individual NCR titles

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Henry (centre) calls on relevant authorities to expedite issuance of individual titles under Section 18 to the Bidayuh NCR land owners. With him are Miro (left) and John Ilus.

KUCHING: Bidayuh assemblymen in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) are appealing to the relevant agency to expedite the issuance of individual titles to Bidayuh native customary rights (NCR) land owners under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code.

Speaking on the behalf of the elected representatives, Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep lamented the lack of progress on the issuance of individual titles under Section 18, after the issuance of Section 6 or perimeter survey in Bidayuh areas.

“We are appealing to the relevant authority to expedite this process because we are experiencing the title issue all the time although efforts have been made by us to explain to the public, the kampung (village) people, that the government is doing something.

“But the people really want to see the results and they are getting curious of the situation because of not much progress. We are here today to call on the relevant authority to look into this matter,” he told a press conference held jointly with Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh and Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus at the State Legislative Assembly lobby yesterday.

Miro said the three GPS assemblymen want to see steady progress in the issuance of NCR land titles to the Bidayuh community under the section.

He noted that the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) had taken the initiative to document the land – both for perimeter survey and individual lots.

“We hope what the DBNA did will complement what the Land and Survey Department is doing.

“We want to see the progress in the issuance of titles under Section 18 to at least ease our burden of being question by the people on the ground,” he said.

John, meanwhile, said he hoped the relevant authority will look into the issue seriously so that they can explain the matter to their constituents.

He said the Bidayuh areas are only concentrated in Kuching, Serian and Samarahan divisions and there should not be any problem for the authority to carry out the ground survey.

“I think the community themselves have helped a lot in assisting in terms of resolving the boundary issues, conflicts and so on. So we hope to see some progress on this matter as soon as possible,” he said.