BETONG, Dec 9: It is impractical to have just one national Land Code to cover the whole country.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas revealed that a federal cabinet member made this proposal when they met in Putrajaya recently.
Uggah said the suggestion was not only preposterous but also showed an ignorance of the peculiarities and complexities surrounding land issues in Sarawak.
Speaking at a meet-the-people session at Rumah Entiggan in Munggu Gernis, Spaoh here, yesterday, Uggah said he told the minister concerned that Sarawak had its own Land Code based on its State Constitution.
“We have our peculiarities and complexities, like the native customary rights (NCR) land. Then there are related issues like the ‘Pemakai Menoa’ (territorial domain) and ‘Pulau Galau’ (communal forest reserve).
“As such, a single national land code is impractical and a non-issue,” he said.
Uggah said the above was another example why Sarawak needed to continue to be governed by its own leaders.
“We know our situation best. We know what our people want. We listen to their problems. We also have our own plans and programmes to solve them and to protect the state’s rights over its own resources and wealth,” he said.
Uggah also reminded the people not to believe posts on social media that the state government would grab the land of the natives without paying fair compensation if it needed the land for big development projects.
He dismissed this as mere rhetorics of the opposition to undermine the people’s confidence in the government.
“Do not believe everything you read there (social media). Verify them first. There are certain people whose daily preoccupation, it seems, is to criticise the government and its leaders.
“They must find faults and issues, or make them up if they cannot find any, just to make their day,” he said.
On the ongoing perimeter survey of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, he said the state government had set aside RM40 million for this purpose next year as a gesture of its goodwill to help the landowners.
Meanwhile, Uggah, who is also the Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, reminded rubber tappers that they were entitled to certain financial aid, following the current decline in the price of the commodity.
“I am sad many are still ignorant of this. Please apply for the IPG (Rubber Production Incentive) card issued by the Lembaga Getah Malaysia (LGM) to identify you as an owner or tapper,” he said.
He advised them to keep all sales receipts in order to make the claim for the aid.
“Under the Rubber Production Incentive Scheme, they can claim one ringgit for every kilogramme they sell. They should check with their nearest Agriculture Department or the LGM office for details,” he advised Uggah. — DayakDaily
