SARATOK: About 700 families from the Entebu,Selambong and Muton area here were relieved after the Betong Land and Survey Department (JTS) announced that their Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands were approved and gazetted as a Native Communal Reserve under Section Six of the Sarawak Land Code.

Betong JTS Authority, Anthony Aboi, said that the NCR within the Entebu, Selambong and Muton area measures around 1,024.8 hectares in space.

According to him, the government’s New NCR Initiative which was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during his visit to Miri in 2010, reflects sincerity to the people through the promise fulfillment of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

“The government always keeps its promise to the people and would ensure that all the NCR lands are measured before issuing their land title deeds to guarantee NCR land ownership and also to protect the rights of the NCR landowners under the New NCR Initiative.

“I am glad the majority of the residents in these three areas were present during the dialogue session. I am also glad that the JTS is finally able to fulfill the requests of the people here”, he explained during the New NCR Initiative held at Anau Longhouse, Entebu Atas here recently.

Abol also said that to realise the dreams of the 700 residents to get their land title deeds, Betong JTS had held a dialogue session with the NCR land owners of the area and that the department would also start measuring the NCR lands within these three areas starting from July this year.

He also advised the NCR landowners within the Entebu, Selambong and Muton area which were already gazetted, to cooperate with his department in determining their own land borders.

Measuring the lands would be much easier with the help of the landowners and I am sure that the process of getting their land title deeds would be smoother”, he stated.

Before this, total of 21 areas were already gazetted as the Native Communal Reserve with the total area measuring about 59,000 hectares.

Meanwhile,Tuai Rumah Anau Chula has classified the government recognition to the communal land ownership claim for the Iban community within the three areas as a great effort made by the government and JTS in listening to the people’s plight and also expressed his appreciation to the state government for finally fulfilling their requests to get their NCR lands measured.

According to Anau, the announcement from Betong JTS regarding their plans to start surveying the NCR lands in July has brought relief to about 700 landowners who had tried to measure their lands before they were invaded by the Tabung Haji Plantation (THP).

“The NCR lands in Entebu, Selambong and Muton which were developed and invaded by THP were all returned to us and we are relieved by this announcement.

“On behalf of the residents here, I would like to thank the government and also Betong JTS for helping us with our problem,” said Anau.

(Source: New Sarawak Tribune, 26 June 2014)