KUCHING: Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Roland Sagah has shot down claims by certain parties that the state government is not serious in its efforts to survey Native Customary Rights (NCR) land and issue land titles to eligible owners.
He said the presentation of individual land titles under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code to NCR landowners in Tasik Biru on Monday clearly demonstrated the state government’s commitment to protecting indigenous land rights.
“Such allegations are completely untrue and merely political rhetoric,” he said at the launch of the Bidayuh Cultural Centre in Bau on Monday.
Sagah, who is also Tarat assemblyman, stressed that the government’s sincerity was evident through amendments made to the Sarawak Land Code under the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“If the Premier was not sincere, we would not have amended the Sarawak Land Code,” he said.
He noted that concepts such as Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau were not originally recognised in the Land Code introduced during the British administration.
“After examining the matter, the Premier decided that these rights must be protected because they belong to our people. As a result, amendments were tabled and passed to incorporate these rights into the Sarawak Land Code,” he said.
According to Sagah, the provisions are unique to Sarawak and are not found in Malaysia’s national land laws.
He explained that surveying NCR land is a complex process that requires extensive consultations at the village level, particularly in resolving boundary issues among landowners.
“This process takes time because all parties must first reach an agreement on shared boundaries before surveys can proceed,” he said.
To facilitate the process in Bidayuh areas, Sagah said the government had entrusted the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) and community leaders to coordinate NCR land documentation efforts alongside the Land and Survey Department.
He said the initiative had received strong support from villagers and contributed significantly to resolving long-standing issues.
“That is why we are now seeing more Bidayuh NCR lands being issued with titles under Section 18,” he said.
Sagah also highlighted challenges arising from landowners who have moved away from their villages for work and are unable to be present during documentation and survey exercises.
Nevertheless, he said relatives residing in the villages can assist in verifying land boundaries to ensure the process continues smoothly.
He added that DBNA would continue organising dialogue sessions to raise awareness and facilitate documentation efforts.
On Monday, more than 2,100 land lots in the Tasik Biru constituency received land titles under Sections 6 and 18 of the Sarawak Land Code.
