A TOTAL of 510 companies in Sarawak have been officially gazetted as “deemed to be a native” as of Apr 30, 2025, enabling them to engage in land transactions involving Native Area Land under Section 9(1)(d) of the Sarawak Land Code.
Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Len Talif Salleh said the recognition allows qualified corporate entities to legally participate in dealings involving land traditionally reserved for native communities.
He made the disclosure during a question-and-answer session at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.
“The authority to approve companies with 100 percent Bumiputera equity rests with the State Secretary of Sarawak.
“However, for applications involving less than 100 percent Bumiputera shareholding, approval must be obtained from the State Cabinet (Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri, MMKN),” he said.
Len said the initiative supports native land ownership and promotes greater economic participation among Bumiputera stakeholders through corporate structures.
Companies seeking to obtain “deemed native” status can download the application form from the official website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development Sarawak.
He clarified that individual applications fall under Section 9(1)(b) of the Sarawak Land Code and must be submitted to the respective District Offices, while applications from companies, organisations, associations, and statutory bodies are processed under Section 9(1)(d) and submitted to the ministry.
He said the validity of a company’s “deemed to be a native” status is contingent on its continued ownership or registered interest in the Native Area Land listed in the government Gazette.
“The status will automatically lapse once the land or the registered interest is transferred to a third party,” he added.
