KUCHING, May 26: Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas says the state government will table the bill to amend the Sarawak Land Code in the upcoming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting.
Uggah who is also the Deputy Chief Minister told DayakDaily that the state government has completed all necessary studies and is ready to table the bill.
Due to May 9 General Election, the upcoming state assembly has been postponed. As this moment, there has yet to be official announcement with regards to the dates where it will convene.
A reliable source revealed that it would be held in July, due to the Ramadan month and Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.
The amendments to the Land Code if accepted will be a milestone achievement for Sarawak as the amendments are expected to put an end to native customary rights (NCR) land disputes in Sarawak regarding Pemakai Menoa (territory domain) and Pulau Galau (community reserve), or PMPG.
The issue has been a long standing one which is a major cause of tension between the state government and the natives due to the lack of clear definition of PMPG.
A few major landmark cases where Dayak landowners lost their claims over their communal land in the Federal Court had resulted in widespread discontent among the native community, further heightening tension between them and the state government.
This culminated in the native community working together with NGOs to stage the biggest protest and demonstration over the issue so far in Sarawak on Nov 13 last year, where many including those from other communities also participated to lend support.
The bill that is going to be tabled by Uggah is expected to give comprehensive and clear definitions of PMPG and put a rest to the issue once and for all. — DayakDaily
