New NCR survey exercise yields better outcome, observes DCM
KAPIT: The new perimeter survey works on Native Customary Rights (NCR) land have proven to be more efficient than the previous exercise, which focused more on individual lots.
Under Section 6 of Sarawak Land Code, the first phase covers the perimeter survey of the NCR land up for gazettement, followed by the individual survey works under Section 18 of the same Code to be conducted once the land has been gazetted under Section 6.
In stating this, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan acknowledged that there were certain quarters that opposed the new procedure and insisted that their land be surveyed and issued under Section 18 of Sarawak Land Code.
He said comparatively, between 1960 and 2010, the Sarawak government only managed to carry out survey works on 260,000 hectares (642,460 acres) of NCR land – he viewed such process as being ‘slow'.
Awang Tengah also highlighted issues of NCR landowners who were not ready, those refusing to give cooperation, those making disputes over boundaries and compensations, as well as those not present when the survey works were being carried out.
“This new initiative (perimeter survey of NCR land under Section 6 of Sarawak Land Code) is proven to be more efficient. As at Feb 28 this year, the Land and Survey Department had successfully carried out perimeter survey of 879,913 hectares (2.17 million acres) of NCR land throughout Sarawak over a period of less than 10 years.
“Such achievement is fourfold better than what we have ever achieved over the past 50 years. This is the best solution and approach that we are doing now,” said Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources, said prior to presenting NCR land titles to individual land-owners and also ordinary land titles to occupants of Bletih Resettlement Scheme, at the civic centre here on Thursday.
Adding on, the deputy chief minister said the Sarawak government had allocated RM161 million, slated for new perimeter survey of NCR land initiative from 2010 till last year.
For this year, the Sarawak government allocated another RM40 million, in addition to the approved federal government's allocation of RM21.5 million for this purpose.
Awang Tengah disclosed that the federal government had recently released 50 per cent – or RM10.75 million – of the RM 21.5 million to carry out the NCR perimeter survey works.
“I would like to stress that the state government is committed to carrying out the survey works, and ensuring that only genuine NCR land owners would be given the titles,” Awang Tengah pointed out.
On individual lots, he pointed out that as at Feb 28 this year, 25,796 individual lots had been surveyed and this exercise involved an area covering 32,017 hectares (79,115.73 acres).
He added that the focus for this year would be to carry out survey works on individual lots, as some 718,522 hectares (1.776 million acres) had been gazetted for the issuance of individual land titles.
“This is indeed a heavy task for the Land and Survey Department, which has been entrusted to carry the survey works within a specific timeframe.
“In this respect, I call upon the community leaders to play their vital roles towards ensuring that the survey works would run smoothly,” he said.
Later at the function, Awang Tengah presented away 257 land titles under Section 18 of Sarawak Land Code to 155 landowners from the Melekun areas, and 55 land titles under Section 13 of Sarawak Land Code to 55 individuals.