Uggah heads Pemakai Menoa, Pulau Galau Committee

KUCHING: The state government has formed a Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau Committee (PMPG Committee) to ensure that land issue involving these two categories of native customary right ( NCR) land can be solved amicably.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said he had been officially tasked to chair the committee formed under the instruction of Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Uggah said the purpose of the committee was to fi nd ways to resolve the controversial issue concerning the two land categories.

Among members o f the committee are representatives from the Attorney- General’s Office and Majlis Adat Istiadat.

“I have been tasked to do in-depth studies with regards to cultures, practices, defi nition, history and all other factors involved in the Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau. Once the fi ndings are done, I will present it to the chief minister,” said Uggah.

He said no time frame had been set by the chief minister but the committee itself had set a time frame to accomplish the task in two to three months’ time.

Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy said yesterday that he had met up with Dr Charlie Dudang to receive feedback on the Jan 7 Native Customary Rights Land Forum ( NCR Forum).

“We had a mee t ing thi s ( yesterday) afternoon and he submitted a report on what had transpired from that forum. The committee will look into the proposal and the materials transpired from the forum,” said Uggah.

The Jan 7 NCR Forum was a meeting participated by Dayaks to discuss Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau. The meeting was overwhelmingly participated.

However, no resolution was reached due to some disagreement among the participants who were mainly NGO members.

Pending a decision from Abang Johari, Uggah called on the Dayak community to remain calm.

“I appeal for calm and patience because this is an attempt for the new chief minister to continue the legacy of the late chief minister to fi nd a solution to resolve the issue once and for all,” said Uggah.

On the NCR land issue affecting the Malays of Kampung Sampadi, Kampung Langeh and Kampung Selingok in Tanjong Datu, Uggah said he would meet with the villagers.

“I will go and meet them to see what is actually going on.”

Late last year, the Federal Court ruled that Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau had no force of law, which had subsequently angrered the Dayak community in the state.

However, Uggah had said that he would bring the matter up to then chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem. But after Adenan’s demise on Jan 11, the matter had been shelved.

Abang Johari has promised that he would take up the matter where his predecessor had left.