1,076,435 hectares of NCR land surveyed since 2010, says Awg Tengah

BINTULU (March 7): A total of 1,076,435 hectares (2.6 million acres) of native customary rights (NCR) land in Sarawak have been surveyed since the implementation of the state government’s new NCR land survey initiative in 2010, disclosed Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He said of the total NCR land surveyed as of Jan 31 this year, 814,428 hectares or 2.01 million acres had been gazetted.
“Under the new initiative, there are two phases, firstly, the perimeter survey and gazette of land under Section 6 of the State Land Code as Bumiputera Communal Reserve (Agriculture) and secondly, the survey of individual lots and issuance of land titles under Section 18 of the same legislation,” said the Second Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development.
He mentioned this when officiating at the presentation of land titles at Wisma Bintulu, BDA Auditorium yesterday.
Awang Tengah said the survey of individual lots and issuance of NCR land titles are ongoing and are done based on the approved procedures.
He added a series of dialogues are also held among the NCR land owners before the actual surveying work in the field is carried out.
“The perimeter survey will only be carried out after obtaining the consent and support of the NCR land claimants involved,” he said.
 
He pointed out that for cases that are still in dispute and on trial in court, the surveying work will not be carried out unless the case has been resolved or withdrawn by those involved.
Awang Tengah thus reminded that full cooperation between the local community leaders and NCR land owners is very important to speed up the perimeter survey and issuance of land titles.
“For the record, as of Jan 31, 2023 a total of 66,454 individual lots had been surveyed involving 81,437 hectares and 26,113 lots measuring 44,930 hectares had been issued with land titles under Section 18 of the State Land Code.
“This includes 82 land titles under Section 18 that I will present today for Sungai Selitut-Separai area to 48 land owners,” he said.
Awang Tengah also said the government is also implementing a programme to survey traditional village land and the programme will be carried out in stages as long as there is a request for survey.
“The villagers need to submit an application to the Land and Survey Department. This programme is government’s assurance in recognising land ownership by issuing land titles to the Bumiputera communities who occupy the traditional villages,” he said.
Awang Tengah said the cost for the programme is fully borne by the state government and land owners or villagers who apply are not subject to any payment.
“To-date, a total of 57,703 residential lots in 386 villages in Sarawak had been surveyed and 53,824 titles had been issued,” he said.
Also present at the programme were Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Dato Majang Renggi, Land and Survey Department deputy director (Management) Awang Zamhari Awang Mahmood, Jepak assemblyman and Jepak Jaya Development advisor Datuk Talib Zulpilip, Bintulu Resident Nyurak Keti and Land and Survey Department Bintulu superintendant Bakeri Samsudin.