By DayakDaily Team
BUKIT SABAN, Feb 3: More than 6,000 hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in the Bukit Saban constituency have been identified for development through a strategic partnership with the private sector, marking a new catalyst for rural economic growth in the area.
In a TVS news, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the initiative will be implemented under a smart partnership model between landowners and experienced private companies, particularly those with expertise in the commercial development of oil palm plantations.
He said the programme offers NCR landowners an opportunity to unlock the economic potential of land that has long remained idle, enabling them to generate stable and more sustainable income over the long term.
“This project allows the people to make productive use of NCR land that has been left unused for years, so that it can provide continuous income to the landowners,” he said.
Uggah was speaking to reporters after the Bukit Saban Socio-Economic Enhancement Programme dialogue session, which involved about 200 residents from nine longhouses in the Ulu Paku and Rimbas areas, held at Rumah Panjang Mendit Unsu, Penom, Ulu Paku, today.
The Bukit Saban assemblyman noted that the private companies involved have a proven track record, having successfully developed more than 45,000 hectares of plantations under a similar partnership model in several other parts of Sarawak.
He said this achievement has strengthened the government’s confidence that a comparable project can be effectively implemented in Bukit Saban.
“The experience and proven performance of the private sector give us confidence that this project can be carried out in an orderly manner and deliver benefits to all parties involved,” he said.
At the same time, Uggah assured that land ownership rights would remain fully protected, stressing that the land will continue to belong to the people.
To this end, the government will conduct land surveys and issue NCR titles free of charge to the affected landowners.
“There will be no sale of land. This is purely a development partnership to ensure the land can generate economic returns while remaining in the hands of its rightful owners,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
