Uggah assures Land Code amendment will solve PMPG issue
KUCHING: The Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2018 to be tabled tomorrow (July 11) during the State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) sitting will solve issues concerning ‘pemakai menoa’ (territorial domain) and ‘pulau galau’ (communal forest reserve).
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah gave his assurance the Sarawak government is listening to the people and has come up with the Bill to solve the problem.
“The issue before us is that the problem is in regards to the territorial domain where pemakai menoa and pulau galau have been declared by the (Federal) Court as a custom, but there’s no force of law.
“So our task is to resolve the issue and that is exactly what we are doing (through the Bill),” he told reporters when met after attending the opening ceremony of the 18th DUN sitting which was officiated by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday.
When pressed to divulge more concerning the Bill, Uggah, who is also Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, said it would be best to wait until he tables the Bill on the day itself.
However, he pointed out that the Bill will be comprehensive and also inclusive to the Dayak community as well as Malays and Melanaus.
“The chief minister ( Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg) is very conscious of the issues and he has directed a committee to solve this problem.
“But how do we solve the problem? You wait for me to table the Bill, otherwise I have nothing to table (on Wednesday),” he quipped.
On Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian’s statement on Sunday that there will be a “fiery and active debate” during the tabling of the Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2018, Uggah said he welcomed the opposition to debate with Gabungan Parti Sarawak lawmakers.
“We welcome it. A lot of us are also fiery fighters,” he teased.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the amendment to the Land Code bill is the right step taken by the Sarawak government.
According to him, the amendment will protect the rights of the native communities in the state including the Malays and Melanaus, and not just the Dayaks.
“The pemakai menoa and pulau galau customs have long been used by the natives in the state but the law on it has yet to be enforced.”
However, he said it is best to wait for Uggah to table the Bill to find out more about the new law concerning the Land Code.
“But what is certain is that this law will be for the benefit of all the natives and there will be a solution to this issue.”