LAND disputes and the absence of claimants on-site have been identified as major challenges in carrying out individual lot surveys under the Native Customary Rights (NCR) land initiative in Opar.
Urban Planning, Land Administration, and Environment Deputy Minister, Datuk Len Talif Salleh, said while the state government remains committed to surveying and issuing land titles, community cooperation is essential to ensure effective implementation.
“To ensure that applications for individual lot surveying can be processed and implemented effectively, land claimants must be prepared by identifying and marking the boundaries of their land and submitting rough sketch plans along with the list of claimants,” he said.
He was responding to a query from Billy Sujang (GPS-Opar) during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Thursday.
Len added that forming land committees among the claimants is strongly encouraged to assist before, during, and after the surveying process.
“Based on records from the Land and Survey Department, there are still approved areas where surveys cannot commence due to disputes.
“The absence of claimants on-site has also hampered fieldwork,” he said.
He urged all parties involved to resolve any disputes promptly to avoid further delays in the issuance of land titles.
On the same note, Len explained that communities wishing to have their ‘pemakai menoa’ and ‘pulau galau’ – or Native Territorial Domain (NTD) – surveyed must submit Form NTD A to the Divisional Land and Survey Department.
“The form can be obtained at the department’s counter or downloaded from the official website,” he said.
Earlier, Len reported that as of April 30, 2025, 30 areas in Opar had been approved for perimeter surveys, with 26 areas surveyed and 18 gazetted as Bumiputera Communal Reserve (Agriculture).
In the second phase, he said nine areas have been approved for individual lot surveys, with three completed and five still in progress.
“A total of 1,411 land titles have been issued under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code.
“Additionally, 10 traditional villages have been approved for surveying, with two already completed.
“Of these, one village has received 415 land titles, while the remaining eight are scheduled for surveying soon, depending on the readiness of claimants on the ground,” he said.
