Fund native land surveys if PKR's sincere, says Sarawak deputy premier
PETALING JAYA : Sarawak deputy premier Awang Tengah Ali Hasan has urged the federal government to continue funding native customary right (NCR) land surveys, after PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar called for these surveys to be expedited.
Awang Tengah said the Sarawak government has made significant progress since the launch of the new NCR land survey initiative in 2010, while continued federal support would ensure its momentum.
'Perhaps she is unaware of the developments and the successes we have achieved. If (Nurul Izzah) is truly concerned about this issue, I hope the federal government will continue to provide funding,' he said, according to The Borneo Post.
Putrajaya has allocated RM15 million for Sarawak to hold NCR land surveys this year.
Awang Tengah said the current approach carried out in two stages – perimeter surveys followed by individual lot surveys – had proven effective and was based on applications from affected communities.
Before 2010, land surveys were conducted under various programmes, including resettlement schemes dating back to the 1960s, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak deputy chairman added.
He said individual lot surveys begin once the land has been gazetted under the Sarawak Land Code and applications are submitted by landowners. Over 1.2 million hectares of NCR land have been surveyed to date.
'We have already implemented this, and the success has been significant. This is a much faster method,' Awang Tengah said.
'Over more than 50 years, only around 260,000 hectares were surveyed. Compare that to what we have achieved since 2010 – the results have increased many times over,' he said, adding that the Sarawak government allocated RM40 million this year for this initiative.
Yesterday, Nurul Izzah called for faster action on land surveys and ownership approvals for native customary land in Sarawak, and a halt to the issuance of new licences on disputed land.
Although native customary rights are recognised under federal law and the Sarawak Land Code, a fraction of such land had been formally surveyed and allowed legal ownership, she said.
In response, Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap of the Sarawak United People's Party later accused her of trying to exploit Sarawak issues for political gain.
Separately, a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Youth division leader urged Nurul Izzah to apologise for her statement, claiming it misrepresented the legal and policy framework surrounding NCR land and risked creating unnecessary tension.
Piasau PBB Youth chief Aniq Ashwin Abuzar said that Nurul Izzah must speak with accuracy and responsibility as a senior figure of the unity government component, especially on complex matters involving land rights in Sarawak.
'We urge her to refrain from making uninformed remarks and to engage constructively with the Sarawak government and native community leaders before commenting on our internal affairs,' he said.
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