SRI AMAN: Community Wellbeing Assistant Minister Datuk Francis Harden Hollis is confident that all existing and ongoing upgrading projects will benefit longhouse residents of Genting San in the years to come.
“Hopefully, the agricultural sector in this area will be developed with the existence of the newly completed iron bridge which connects the longhouse with Sungai Undop area,” he said when officiating at several upgrading projects at Rumah Juan, Genting San on Thursday.
“Today, I also simultaneously open four other village upgrading projects at Rumah Juan namely, 1.5km tar-sealed road project, clean water supply project, electricity supply project, and verandah and rooftop project,” he explained, adding a sum of RM3.2 million rural transformation project (RTP) fund was allocated to the projects.
On the surveying of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, Harden said it was solely for the benefit of the villagers themselves, and the state government had no intention to take their land.
“Few years ago, the people had called on the state government to make an explanation on the benefits of surveying of the NCR lands, while the government approved an allocation of RM80 million to help the people regarding the matter.
“Unfortunately, when surveys were to begin, the people were deceived by the tricks of some parties out to confuse them.
“However, thinking of the importance of land surveying to the people, the Sarawak government through GPS has agreed to add on RM40 million to continue the surveying works,” stressed Harden, who is also the Simanggang assemblyman.
According to him, under the NCR New Initiative, the state government is adopting a two-step approach which comes with two deliverables.
Firstly, the NCR land in all divisions throughout the state will be identified for en-bloc survey. The purpose of en-bloc survey is to segregate genuine NCR land from state land. Upon completion of perimeter survey, these parcels of land will be gazetted as Native Communal Reserve under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code.
Secondly, the community will determine the boundaries of their land within the gazetted area to enable detailed survey to be carried out for issuance of individual land title. The land title will be issued under Section 18 of Sarawak Land Code.
Also present were Sri Aman District Officer Mohd Ashree Wee and Sri Aman Division JKR engineer Bujang Kanang.
