SARIKEI: The Sarawak government has allocated RM40 million annually to accelerate Native Customary Rights (NCR) land surveying and issuance of land titles.
Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh said that the implementation not only involves the approach under Section 6, but has also been expanded through Section 18 of the State Land Code to ensure the affected land can be legally and systematically titled.
He said that to date, about 1.2 million hectares of NCR land have been successfully surveyed out of nearly three million hectares identified for measurement.
“The state government is indeed committed to resolving NCR land issues and this effort was not only initiated when elections are approaching, but has been ongoing continuously for a long time,” he said.
He said this after attending the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) cheque presentation ceremony at the Sarawak Government Administrative Centre (IAC) today.
Len Talif added that one of the main challenges faced during the surveying process is the absence of land claimants when measurements are being carried out, making it difficult to jointly determine boundaries.
In this regard, he urged the public to cooperate throughout the surveying process to ensure land ownership matters can be resolved more quickly and smoothly.
In addition, he added that the state government has deployed 367 new staff members to strengthen the Land and Survey Department throughout Sarawak.
He also stressed that the NCR issue should no longer be used as a political tool as the government continues to implement consistent efforts to resolve the matter for the benefit of the people.
