Awang Tengah (centre) witnesses Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang (right) presenting a certificate to a landowner.

SIBU: Native Customary Rights (NCR) landowners are being urged to resolve disputes amicably to allow the state government to proceed with surveying works crucial for land title issuance.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the Sarawak Land and Survey Department cannot carry out surveys on NCR lands that are currently under dispute or involved in court proceedings.

“Resolve the matters amicably and with wisdom. Only then can the applicants submit a new application to rejoin the NCR Land Survey Programme,” he said in his speech at the Land Compensation Cheque and Section 18 State Land Code (SLC) Land Title Handover Ceremony for the Sibu Division, here today (Apr 16).

Awang Tengah, who is also the Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development, stressed that all parties involved must reach a consensus before any perimeter survey is conducted.

“If even one claimant does not agree, we will not proceed,” he stressed.

He also reminded landowners that claims must be supported by valid legal evidence and must align with government records.

Meanwhile, on the NCR land, he said that as of Feb 28, perimeter surveys have been conducted on approximately 1.19 million hectares of NCR land statewide, with over 935,000 hectares gazetted as Bumiputera Communal Reserve under Section 6 of the SLC.

“Additionally, 98,340 individual lots covering 117,051 hectares have been surveyed under Section 18, with 32,185 lots (45,000 hectares) already issued land titles,” he said.

During the ceremony, Awang Tengah presented 157 land titles to 133 recipients from the Igu/Tamin area in Selangau and Pasai Siong in Sibu.

He also distributed RM6.79 million in compensation to 365 landowners for land acquired for several development projects, including the Baleh-Mapai 500KV transmission line, road construction in Sungai Lengan, and the upgrading of the Salim Water Treatment Plant.