KUCHING: The Land and Survey Department must improve its dissemination of information on Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in a more effective approach with a very simple language so that the community can easily understand.

The Second  Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the perimeter survey, an on-going effort by the government under the New NCR Initiative, had enabled the issuance of land titles to many NCR landowners.

“However, it does not ensure that all NCR land claims would be approved as the survey has its policy as well, where you must provide the proof for the authorities concerned.

Therefore, some parties are taking this issue to confuse the people and make baseless allegations like what had been done by the Global Witness he said.

Tenngah pointed out that sonic of the landowners and members of the community did not fully understand the policy and procedures of perimeter survey, what more to say a foreign organisation like Global Witness.

He suggested the department look for a strategic partner arid use their Innovations and creativity to create a channel for providing detail information on NCR land in the simplest way, such as through the Internet.

We want not only the land. owners and members of the public to understand the policy of perimeter survey as Issues have been raised by certain quarters for political and personal interests,” said Tengah when speaking at the Land and Survey Department’s Innovation and Integrity [)ay at Four Points by Sheraton here, yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Director of Land and Survey Department Sajeli Kipli, disclosed that the department had been holding its Innovation and Integrity Day annually, and nearly 70 projects had been planned and improved by the Innovative and Creative Group of the department.

For example the Project Group 4QUEST in Miri had cleared the backlog of private housing premiums, guaranteeing the property ownership rights of the house buyers, and the achievement had become the benchmark for offices in all divisions,” he pointed out.

Besides that, the effort to produce and adopt Peg MySmart product was now in the final stage, and the APC screens produced by Bentong office at last year’s convention had been completed for distribution for use in all offices, he added.

Sajeli also mentioned that the department had started to apply the Balance Score Card approach under the state government’s Initiative to introduce a new mission in line with the changing environment and customers’ expectations of the department.

Also present were Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Resource Planning and
Environment Datu Sudarsono Osman and Deputy State Secretary Datu Ose Murang.

(Source:  Sarawak Tribune,17 May 2013)