BINTANGOR: A total of 70 community leaders from Tulai, Meradong received their Native Customary Rights (NCR) land titles during a handover ceremony at the Bintangor Community Hall here, yesterday (July 19).
The documents were presented by Meradong assemblyman Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing, and witnessed by Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Sarawak Datuk Len Talif Salleh, who is also the Kuala Rajang assemblyman.
Len said the Sarawak government remains committed to recognising and protecting Bumiputera land ownership in rural areas through formal title issuance.
“The recognition and issuance of NCR land titles is something close to the people’s hearts,”
“The government has explored ways to speed up the NCR land surveying process so that owners have clear land boundaries, proper documentation, and protection against encroachment,” he said.
As of June 30, 2025, the Sarawak Land and Survey Department (JTS) has successfully surveyed 1,204,125 hectares (2.9 million acres) of NCR land by perimeter across the state, of which 937,655 hectares (2.3 million acres) have been gazetted.
For individual lot surveying, 101,903 lots covering 121,733 hectares (300,802 acres) have been measured, with 32,614 lots officially granted land titles involving a total of 44,828 hectares (110,770 acres).
Len also called for continued cooperation from community leaders, village heads, and NCR landowners to ensure the programme proceeds smoothly and efficiently, while reminding recipients not to sell the recognised land for short-term profit but to utilise it for agriculture or economic development to benefit their families and communities.
He added that various government initiatives through the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Sarawak (M-FICORD) have been introduced to help develop NCR land productively.
