Uggah confident of resolving NCR land issues
SIBU: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas is confident of finding ways to resolve the ‘pemakai menoa’ and ‘pulau galau’ issues of the Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.
He pointed out that a number of consultations had been carried out, including gathering of feedback.
“Wel l , NCR i s sue s have been very juicy issues; lots of comments in newspapers. But the immediate issues on our table is the ‘pemakai menoa’ (territorial domain) and ‘ pulau galau’ (communal forest reserve)… we have done our consultation. ( In fact) a number of consultations have been done – one in Kuching, and one in Miri especially among Dayak lawyers and we have gotten their feedback.
“At the same time, there are non-governmental organisations ( NGOs) who have organised seminars on these issues – they have submitted their resolutions, their proposals. So, we have decided on June 29 – there will be a meeting of the working (task force) committee and have invited some of representatives from various groups.
“The idea is to look at – while we are consulting – we have a committee that look at the land code and look at what proposal we are going to make to the government. So on June 29 – that proposal will be tabled to the committee. The committee will study the defi nition of ‘pemakai menoa’ – I think that is one of the most critical issues that got to be addressed. It must be quantified; once it is quantified then, it is easier to enforce on the ground,” Uggah, who is also Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister told reporters.
He was met after officiating at Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak ( SIDS) Sibu’s Ngiling Bidai 2017 here on Saturday night.
He added: “So, on June 29, we hope we can achieve certain polices which we will then hope to present to the government for consideration. So, it is already in quite an advance stage. But this issue is a very complicated issue – lots of ideas and opinions.
“But I am very confident that over time we can sit down and fi nd ways to resolve the issues.”
Asked whether NCR land issues could be solved for good, he said no problem could be solved once and for all. He, however, stressed that for the moment – their immediate focus was ‘ pemakai menoa’ and ‘pulau galau’ because that seemed to be the biggest issue surrounding the NCR land.
“There will be no end of issues; sometimes, when we do our survey, there is dispute between families, even among family members… we cannot f ind a solution to solve issues once and for call.
“But what we hope to do is to resolve the ‘pemakai menoa’ and ‘ pulau galau’ issues. Everybody is very anxious about it and I am also very anxious about it.” He said the responsibility was very heavy because this was something which had to be deliberated with all parties.
Earlier this month, Uggah was quoted as saying that the ‘ Pemakai Menoa’ and ‘ Pulau Galau’ Committee was expected to come up with a recommendation to the state government on these two categories of NCR land by the end of this year.
It was reported that currently, the state’s land administration system is based on the principle of temuda, or land which had been cleared, occupied and cultivated by native persons. The Federal Court had affi rmed this principle last year when it ruled in the Tuai Rumah Sandah case that the native custom of pemakai menoa and pulau galau has no force of law in Sarawak.