By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Aug 4: The people of Sungai Kajah in Kanowit are renewing their calls for urgent government intervention over the continued logging and timber extraction allegedly taking place on their gazetted Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, despite repeated complaints and clear legal provisions that prohibit such activity.
The Sungai Kajah Land Committee (AJKTSK) chairman TR Kujat Dudang said that the logging, which began in mid-2021 under a License for Planted Forests (LPF), has continued until today even though the affected area was surveyed and gazetted under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code in 2016.
He pointed out that the LPF licence approved by the Sarawak Forestry Department (FDS) appears to contravene Section 65(3) of the Sarawak Forests Ordinance and Section 5(3) of the Sarawak Land Code, both of which prohibit commercial activities on gazetted NCR land unless there is proper consultation and consent from rightful landowners.
“Despite this, the FDS proceeded to approve LPF licenses over the area–a decision that raises serious legal, ethical and governance concerns,” he said in a statement issued on Aug 2.
He further said the committee has lodged multiple police reports and submitted a formal complaint to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), supported by photographic evidence and witness testimonies.
They claimed that several community headmen or Tuai Rumah had allegedly received monthly payments from the timber licensee to influence villagers to agree to the logging on their NCR land.
According to a document disclosed by the committee, these Tuai Rumah were receiving allowances ranging between RM150 and RM500 monthly, amounting to RM4,450 in total. It was further alleged that the names of some individuals were included on the payment list without their consent, including Kujat himself.
A cash voucher also revealed that one Tuai Rumah received a commission payment of RM6,290.15 in February this year.
Kujat said this situation reflects a serious conflict of interest and has undermined the integrity of traditional leadership.
He also expressed concern that some landowners may have been misled into giving consent for timber extraction without understanding the full implications.
Additionally, he warned that the logging activities have resulted in serious environmental damage including deforestation, water pollution, biodiversity loss and the destruction of natural forest areas that are crucial to the food security, cultural identity and livelihoods of the indigenous Iban communities of Sungai Kajah.
Kujat also criticised a media statement by the FDS published in April this year, which claimed that the department was awaiting confirmation on the status of the NCR land.
“This contradicts the statement from the Sarawak Land and Survey Department, which clearly reiterates that no LPF licenses should be issued over gazetted NCR land. So why is timber extraction still ongoing?” he said.
The Sungai Kajah Land Committee is now urging the FDS to revoke the LPF licence issued over the NCR area identified as Block 1: Lot 8 in the Sepali Land District. They are also calling on the Land and Survey Department to reaffirm and enforce the land’s status under Section 6 of the Land Code.
In addition, the committee wants the MACC and the Royal Malaysia Police to investigate the alleged corruption involving the timber licensee and the Tuai Rumah said to be involved.
They also hope that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability in Putrajaya will step in to protect environmental and indigenous land rights as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
The statement also appealed to the Office of Premier of Sarawak (OPS) to respond to the plight of rural indigenous communities and ensure State policies do not override legally recognised customary rights.
“The people of Sungai Kajah are not against development, but we insist on a just, legal and transparent process that respects our ancestral land and the rule of law.
“The government must not allow large corporations to continue exploiting our forests with impunity, nor should they turn a blind eye to grassroots voices calling for justice,” Kujat said.
This development follows earlier reports of Sungai Kajah villagers protesting against what they claimed was encroachment into their land and the FDS’s explanation that it was still verifying the status of the land. — DayakDaily
