By Brad Rantayy
MIRI, Nov 21: The issuance of Licence for Planted Forest (LPF) by the state Forestry will not affect the native customary rights (NCR) land of the people.
Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala gave assurance that the rural community would not be losing their NCR land if it is within the LPF, as the licence is issued for planting ventures and not owned by the company.
“There is no land grabbing, there are no issues of people losing their land when it is within the LPF, as the licence is for planting and not to own land.
“All these allegations by the oppositions of land grabbing by the state government are false. They just want to provoke and make the people especially in the rural areas angry,” he told reporters after a briefing session on LPF here today.
Some 100 community leaders from Telang Usan and Mulu state constituencies attended at the session.
The Sarawak Legislative Assembly deputy speaker said the LPF is only a licence issued to occupy the land temporary for the period of 60 years for planting.
It is not a land title, he added.
At the briefing, Gerawat explained about Section 6 and Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code.
“Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code protects the rights of the natives over their land, while Section 18 is the second step to survey the land individually and subsequently issuing them with a document of title. Do not get confuse by the opposition’s provocation,” he said.
Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said the state government is committed to engage and empower people especially those in the rural area on issues relating to the LPF issues, so that they would be able to counter-argument on accusations made by the oppositions.
Six areas in Mulu and Telang Usan (Baram) have been issued with LPF, covering 381,898 hectares. — DayakDaily
