KUCHING: The Sarawak BN manifesto is “very interesting”, especially for the rural populace, for it focuses on technical education, rural infrastructure and land security, said Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing.

Masing, who is also PRS president, said the emphasis on education, particularly technical education, was to meet the state’s future need for skilled labour.

“The state is also focusing on building rural infrastructure, such as providing a proper tar-sealed road network, treated and clean water supply, and 24-hour electricity.

We also want to improve on land, providing more land security to Sarawakians. That is why the native customary rights (NCR) land parameter survey is very important to us,” he told reporters after the supplementary manifesto was launched by state BN chairman Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud at PBB headquarters here yesterday.

One of the salient points in the manifesto is that the state government is committed to bring 1.5 million hectares of NCR land into the Land Register. The government is now conducting an on-going survey to address native landowners’ concerns over the security of their lands.

The survey, which is being carried out state-wide and involving all communities, will also pave the way for native landowners to develop and enhance the value of their lands and improve livelihood.

To date, under the NCR land surveying initiative, a total of 328,705 hectares of land had been surveyed.

In addition, as part of the rural transformation to improve the economics of rural communities, 148,568 land titles had been issued in the State, representing 285,78213 hectares of land for the purpose of agricultural activities, as or March this year.

During the same period, the number of land titles issued for residential purposes in the state totalled 57,453, covering 4,407.94 hectares.

(Source:   The Borneo Post, 18 April 2013)