528 Singai landowners receive Section 18 land title

Awang Tengah (seated centre), flanked by Naroden (left) and Henry, in a photo session with the recipients.

BAU, Feb 8: A total of 528 land titles under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code were issued to four villages in the Singai area.

The recipients are from Kpg Sudoh (168), Kpg Atas (214), Kpg Bobak (126) and Kpg Daun (20).

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan officiated at the presentation ceremony at Kpg Bobak Sejinjang community hall here today.

This is the second land title presentation ceremony for the Singai zone after a similar event in January last year, where 636 land titles were issued under Section 18 to landowners in Kpg Daun and Kpg Tanjung Bowang Sinibong.

“Surveying of NCR (native customary rights) land is an ongoing process and has been there since the 1960’s, and the state government will continue to do so using the state’s allocation,” said Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources.

He added that the government has allocated RM40 million last year and another RM40 million this year for the purpose.

To speed up NCR land surveying, Awang Tengah said perimeter survey under Section 6 needed to be carried out first, before going for individual lots under Section 18 of the state land code.

This, he said, was necessary because going direct for Section 18 was a bit slow, having only covered 641,460 acres of NCR land until 2010, since more than 50 years ago.

“The government will speed up NCR land survey and for this reason, we will increase the staff for Land and Survey Department,” he pointed out.

According to him, more than 400 new staff will be recruited to strengthen the department for the purpose.

Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep assured that no villages in the Singai area will be left behind for NCR land survey both under Section 6 and 18.

Assistant Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur, Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, was present. — DayakDaily