Land and Survey Department personnel conduct an NRC land perimeter survey in Sri Aman. — Bernama file photo
KUCHING (May 24): A total of 1,091,547 ha (2,697,213 acres) of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land have been perimeter-surveyed as of April 30 this year, said Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
The Deputy Premier and Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development said from that figure, 842,465 ha (2,081,731 acres) have been gazetted as Bumiputera Communal Reserve under Section 6 of the State Land Code.
He said the perimeter surveys were carried out under the state government’s new NCR Land Survey Initiative, which began in 2010.
“This is to ensure that NCR land surveys are implemented more efficiently and effectively. The gazetting of the remaining areas that have been surveyed in perimeter will be implemented continuously,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) today.
Awang Tengah stressed that the Sarawak government always recognises and defends the people’s rights to their land.
Accordingly, the survey and issuance of NCR land title deeds have been carried out since the 1960s, particularly through the Settlement Operation in accordance with Part V of the Sarawak Land Code Chapter 81, he said.
Since 2017, land surveys have also been focused on individual lots under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code for areas that have been gazetted under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code based on the application and willingness of the land claimants, he explained.
“As of April 30 this year, a total of 68,723 individual lots have been successfully surveyed involving an area of 84,288 ha or 208,275 acres for which land title deeds have been and will be issued under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code,” he said.
In order to speed up the survey of individual lots of NCR land, Awang Tengah reminded land claimants to be present during the process and to mark their land boundaries clearly to avoid disputes in making claims.
“The Sarawak government is committed to ensuring the continuity of this programme and will continue to provide the necessary funds in addition to the funds received from the federal government,” he added.