Douglas Uggah
KUCHING: State opposition members who instigated people by saying that land surveyed under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land (Amended) Code 2018 is state land, are jealous of the state government’s success in resolving land issues.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said this last night at a welcoming dinner for southern zone participants of Sarawak Land (Amended) Code 2018 Forum at a hotel here.
“Even yesterday (Wednesday) they still harped on the matter at social media. They are either ‘Bebal’ (dumb) or ‘Batu Penghasut’ (instigators). In fact they are jealous because the Sarawak government helmed by Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has managed to resolve the issues,” said Uggah.
He pointed out when asked to provide proof that land surveyed under Section 6 has been taken over by the state government, the opposition leaders could not do so because what they had alleged was indeed false.
Even if the government for instance build schools or roads on the Section 6 communal reserve, the area community will be compensated because the land belonged to that community, he said. To date, the state government has paid up a total of RM37 million in compensation in such cases, he said.
Uggah added that the chief minister has assured people that perimeter survey for communal reserves (under Section 6) will continue as it is imperative to separate Bumiputera/NCR land (to be known as native territorial domain) from state land.
It was announced during the tabling of State Budget 2020 recently that RM40 million was allocated for perimeter survey programmes, he added.
A total of 1,002 participants comprising civil servants and community leaders from Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman and Betong divisions will be attending the forum today which starts at 7am.
Topics to be presented at the forum will be on the amended land code and that of Land (Native Communal Title) Rules 2019 as well as on the process and procedure of application for native communal title.
The chief minister will close the forum at 2pm.