Awang Tengah (front, second right) greets Anwar at the meeting.

KUCHING (Oct 6): Sarawak is ready to share its expertise and systems in land administration and resource management with the federal government to enhance efficiency at the national level, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

He said Sarawak had already implemented a one-day land transaction system since 2009 through its Electronic Land And Survey Information System (eLASIS).

“In Sarawak, we have implemented land ownership transactions within one day since 2009.

“Our system is not limited to land ownership but covers about 67 types of transactions, including caveats, charges and subleases,” he said after attending the 83rd National Land Council Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

Awang Tengah, who represented Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, said the Sarawak government was prepared to share its experience and expertise if it could help improve the effectiveness of land administration at the federal level.

The meeting also discussed Malaysia’s commitment to maintaining at least 50 per cent of the country’s land area as forested areas.

In this regard, Awang Tengah said Sarawak’s sustainable forest management practices and land-use policies continued to contribute significantly towards achieving the national target.

He said about 62 per cent of Sarawak remained forested, making the contribution of Sarawak and Sabah particularly significant in helping Malaysia maintain its forest cover.

He therefore proposed that Sarawak and Sabah be given appropriate incentives, including through the Ecological Fiscal Transfer (EFT) mechanism, to support their continued efforts to preserve forest areas.

On greening efforts, Awang Tengah said Sarawak had planted about 67 million trees under the Greening Malaysia Programme, achieving its target ahead of schedule.