Good thinking, that …

THIS is the type of news that I have been longing to hear or read for years: the recent statement made by the Chief Minister about issuing titles to land in Sarawak.

What sort of titles, may one wonder? The devil is in the details, I think.

Mixed Zone or Native Area Title?

In principle and in general, the Chief Minister’s advice to the relevant officials to issue titles to land is politically correct. The ball is in the relevant officials’ court now.

It is the bounden duty of a responsible government to solve a long-standing problem – the restrictions put on the dealings between Native land owner and non-Native individual or company have undervalued the land held under Native Area Title. Don’t talk about NCR land – only Native title there.

This debate – whether or not to economically empower the Native land owners – has been going on for far too long since colonial times. So the recent statement by the Chief Minister is music to the ears of the Native holding land without a title.

Since colonial times, the government has not really satisfied the needs of the Native owners. This time around it will be for real, I hope.

It is the right move to issue title to land, not only to those landowners whose interests in land have been documented by private individuals albeit unofficially recognised in terms of the Land Code, but also to those whose ownership of land has been under dispute. Witness the number of such disputes filed in court for determination as to the rightful ownership.

However, what sort of title are we talking about? Native