Putrajaya should continue providing funding for S'wak's NCR land survey initiative, says Awg Tengah

Borneo Post

28-06-2025

Awang Tengah speaks to reporters when met at PBB HQ today. – Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING (June 28): The federal government should continue providing funding for the Native Customary Rights (NCR) land survey initiative in Sarawak if it is genuinely concerned about the issue, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
'If she (Nurul Izzah) is truly concerned about this issue, I hope the federal government will continue to provide funding,' he told reporters at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) headquarters here today.
Awang Tengah was commenting on PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar's recent statement urging the federal government to expedite NCR land surveys and ownership approvals, and to halt the issuance of new licences on disputed land.
He said Sarawak has made significant strides in surveying NCR land since the introduction of the New NCR Land Survey Initiative in 2010.
'Perhaps she is unaware of the developments and the successes we have achieved. Since 2010, we have implemented the NCR land survey through a new initiative carried out in two stages — first, perimeter surveying, and second, individual lot surveying. All of this is based on applications from the communities,' he said.
To date, more than 1.2 million hectares of NCR land have been surveyed under the initiative.
'Almost one million hectares have been issued documentation under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code,' he added.
He said the second phase, which involves surveying individual lots, begins once the land is gazetted under Section 6 and applications are submitted by the landowners.
'We have already implemented this, and the success has been significant. This is a much faster method.'
Awang Tengah noted that before the 2010 initiative, various approaches were used to carry out land surveys, including through resettlement programmes dating back to the 1960s.
'Over more than 50 years, we managed to survey only around 260,000 hectares. Compare that to what we have achieved since 2010 — the results have increased many times over,' he said.
He stressed that the Sarawak government is fully committed to continuing the initiative and has already allocated RM40 million to support it.
'This funding can be applied for if needed. In addition, we have deployed over 370 officers to carry out the survey work, all funded by the Sarawak government,' he said, adding that annual spending on the initiative amounts to no less than RM30 million.
'This is an ongoing effort. We continue to receive applications, and each is considered accordingly.'
He also underscored the importance of cooperation from landowners, especially for individual surveys.
'They must be present on the ground to verify their boundaries. This is not something we do haphazardly,' he said.
'Once approval is granted, we engage directly with the communities involved. We hold dialogues, verify evidence and boundary claims, and everything is done transparently. With agreement and cooperation, the process can be accelerated.'
Touching on legal disputes involving NCR land, Awang Tengah advised claimants to either wait for court rulings or withdraw their cases if they wish to join the survey initiative.
'If they are interested in joining the programme, they should withdraw the case from court and submit their applications. Everything is based on voluntary application,' he said. Awang Tengah Land Survey NCR nurul izzah