By Ling Hui
BINTULU, Nov 3: The Opposition’s political move of raising issues concerning Native Customary Land (NCR) to gain votes in the Jepak by-election is not at all helpful to land owners.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said it would only delay and complicate the perimeter surveying processes.
“They’re just putting up a show by recycling the NCR land issues. So, don’t be influenced by these allegations. They’re not trying to help you.
“What they do will not speed up the surveying process. Instead, it will slow down the entire process and complicate matters,” he said.
Awang Tengah, who is also Sarawak Deputy Premier, said the people will be the ones losing out should the NCR land surveys drag out.
“Old people like us, we will be gone one day. Many of our children may not stay in the longhouses because they’re working in towns and cities.
“They only come back to the longhouses during Gawai or Christmas, and they don’t go to the woods, so how would they know where the NCR lands are,” he said during a community gathering at Rh Ijau Undah Thursday evening (Nov 2).
As the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) election director for the Jepak by-election, Awang Tengah urged all Jepak voters to not be easily swayed by allegations from the Opposition.
He said only the GPS-led Sarawak government recognises NCR lands and is working hard to issue as many NCR land titles to the people to defend their rights.
So far, he said the Sarawak government has surveyed over 1.2 million hectares of NCR lands and issued land titles for over 870,000 hectares.
Awang Tengah also assured that the surveying process will be a continuous effort which he himself will be closely monitoring.
Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Deputy Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Development Datuk Rosey Yunus and GPS candidate for Jepak by-election Iskandar Turkee were among those also present at the event. — DayakDaily
