By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 15: A total of 13,119 hectares of land involving 59 longhouses across several areas in central Sarawak have been gazetted as Bumiputera Communal Reserves to strengthen Native Customary Rights (NCR) land ownership and safeguard community land rights under the Sarawak Land Code.
Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment, Datuk Len Talif Salleh, said the initiative reflects the State government’s commitment to legally protecting communal land ownership through the issuance of gazette notices under Section 6 of the Land Code.
He was speaking at the handover ceremony of land titles and compensation cheques held at the Islamic Complex Hall in Sibu yesterday (Feb 14), which he officiated on behalf of Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development II, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
“The gazetted areas cover longhouses in Kanowit, Julau, Durin (Sibu), and parts of Selangau, including Sungai Arip, Tau, Bawang, Ulu Kelawit and Tebaling in Batang Oya.
“This step is crucial in ensuring that community-owned land is protected legally under the law and preserved for future generations,” Len said in a Facebook post following the event.
In addition to communal land recognition, individual land ownership was also strengthened through the issuance of Section 18 land titles to 85 recipients in the Sebidang Oya area in Sibu.
According to Len, the granting of individual land titles provides long-term security to landowners while enhancing the economic value of their assets.
As part of infrastructure development, the Sarawak government also handed over compensation cheques totalling more than RM9.3 million for several road upgrading projects, namely Oya Road upgrading (Phase 2) (RM3,256,768), the link road from Permai to Ulu Sungai Merah (RM5,209,162) and the link road from Nanga Bangkit to Tanjung Manis (RM846,219).
Also present were Selangau MP Edwin Banta; Daro assemblyman Dr Safiee Ahmad; Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira; Bukit Assek assemblyman Chieng Jin Ek; Sarawak Development Office director Dato Jasni Jubli; Sibu Resident Abang Mohamad Porkan Abang Budiman; Sibu Land and Survey Department superintendent Chua Soh Kee; and Sarawak Public Works Department (PWD) Senior Principal Assistant Director (Road) Anding Uchi. — DayakDaily
