By Jacob Achoi
SERIAN, July 15: The Sarawak government has issued land titles under Section 6 and 18 of the Sarawak Land Code (SLC) to 42 villages, and 202 land titles to 160 landowners from Kpg Petag in Serian division today.
“The state government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has allocated RM40 million this year for NCR land surveying while the recently formed Perikatan Nasional (PN) has allocated RM7.5 million.
“To add to that, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has also approved additional 476 staff for Land and Survey Department that will cost the state government around RM30 million a year just for the purpose to expedite NCR land surveying.
“So the state government will continue with the commitment and responsibility to survey, gazette and issue NCR land titles,” Awang Tengah pointed out.
Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development also said that the new initiative of NCR land survey, which was introduced in 2010 that comes in two stages, Section 6 and Section 18 of SLC, has proven to expedite the work process.
According to him, under the new initiative, 934, 288 hectares or 2.3 million acres have been surveyed, of which 753,456 hectares or 1.8 million acres have been gazetted.
Before the new initiative was introduced, only 260,000 hectares or 642,460 acres were completed up to 2010, he added.
Awang Tengah also assured that the state government will continue to work with Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) to facilitate and expedite Bidayuh NCR land.
“Although the survey work carried out by DBNA may not be 100 per cent correct, the government will continue to work with the association, which have better knowledge about the Bidayuh land,” he stressed.
He urged the people not to believe in certain quarters who are out to confuse and instigate them about land matters pertaining to Section 6.
He also advised the people to have faith and trust in the state government under local political parties to look after their welfare and wellbeing, including land matters.
Present were Assistant Minister of Urban Development and Resources Datu Len Talif, Assistant Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, Assistant Minister of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Kedup and Bukit Semuja assemblymen, Martin Ben and John Ilus, respectively, Land and Survey director Abdullah Julaihi and superintendent of Serian Land and Survey Jacqueline George Paou. —DayakDaily
