Call for fast approval of NCR land deal
KUCHING: Eighteen community leaders from Tamin, led by Ulu Oya Pakoh Area Development Committee (ADC) chairman Henry Kanyan, want the state government to expedite approval of their rental agreement on native customary rights ( NCR) land in their joint venture (JV) with two companies for land development.
They submitted the proposal to the government in 2016, among other things, wanting the state government to protect their venture from any untoward circumstance.
However, up to now, they have not received any response.
Yesterday, they called upon Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing and Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang at Masing’s office in Petra Jaya here to express their anxiety.
The rental system on land is not a new thing. According to Masing, it is being applied in
The 18 community leaders are looking for government protection. They do not want any untoward incident after the joint venture agreement is signed. They also want the state government to be the witness of their agreement.
Balingian area by landowners and land developers, adding that the system is an alternative to the scheme initiated by Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra).
He hoped that the government through the Ministry of Modernisation for Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, could approve their – the community leaders’ – application before the next parliamentary election.
“The 18 community leaders are looking for government protection. They do not want any untoward incident after the joint venture agreement is signed.
“They also want the state government to be the witness of their agreement,” he said after chairing a meeting with the community leaders here.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak ( PRS) Women chief Datuk Seri Doris Brodie, who is also a political secretary to chief minister, and Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong Ijang were also present.
The JV involves 33,000 hectares of NCR land surveyed under the provision of Section 6 of Sarawak Land Code.
Masing, who is also PRS president, said he could not reveal the identity of the two companies, but what had been agreed upon was that for the first five years, the rental should be RM350 per hectare per year, and subsequently for Year Six up to Year 30, the rental is RM720 per hectare per
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, Deputy Chief Minister
year.
The community leaders are also in the city to take part in a NCR conference on ‘ Pemakai Menoa (Territorial / Communal Domain) and Pulau Galau (Forest Reserves)’, taking place at Imperial Hotel here today (Jan 24) where Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is scheduled to officiate at the opening ceremony at 3.30pm.