Land Code Bill boosts Post Covid-19 Development Strategy — Safiee

THE Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2022 augurs well for the implementation of the state government’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 once it is passed, said Daro assemblyman Safiee Ahmad.

He said this was because the state government’s Post Covid19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 is focused on two main thrusts – providing telecommunication facilities to improve digital technology services throughout Sarawak; and sustainable use of land and natural resources in line with the commitment towards reducing the effects of climate change and global warming.

He added that the amendment will also provide for standards by the state government in the airspace that will form part of the land including spectrum.

“Spectrum as defined in the Communication and Multimedia Act, 1998, is the continuous range of electromagnetic wave frequencies up to and including a frequency of 420 terahertz.

“It is the intention of the state government to ensure that the use of on-land spectrum in Sarawak is in line with the plan to upgrade communication infrastructure facilities throughout Sarawak.

“That in turn is in line with economic transformation under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030,” he said in his debate speech.

He opined that there is a need to amend the definition of ‘land’ in the State Land Code enacted in 1958 as the National Land Code used in Malaya defines ‘land’ to include the airspace above the land.

The Bill was tabled by Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.