Release Date: 18 November 2011

This clarification is issued in response to the news articles entitled ‘Long Atip folk fear losing 50,000 ha inherited from their ancestors’ and ‘Villagers claim survey work done without consent’ which were published in the English dailies.

Records from the Department indicated that the ongoing perimeter survey in Apoh, Baram, is progressing well in an area known as Long Bedian.  The survey, which started on 10 October 2011, is carried out by a team of private surveyors appointed by the Department.  Survey work has never started in Long Atip as reported. 

Prior to the commencement of survey work, the Department had held a total of five dialogue sessions with the people of Long Bedian as well as their neighbouring villages comprising of Long Atip, Long Bemang and Long Wat.  The dialogue serves to explain the objectives of perimeter survey, determine which community the land belongs to and also to confirm the size and boundary of the land to be surveyed. 

During the last dialogue which was held on October 8, 2011 in Long Bedian, the people of Long Bedian had consented for their land to be surveyed.  Long Bedian’s headman TK Usung Wan had also given the green light for the commencement of perimeter survey.

Long Bedian in Apoh, Baram is one of the areas in the Miri Division that has been identified for survey under the New NCR Initiative. Before any survey work can be carried out, the Land and Survey Department makes it a point to hold dialogues with community leaders, village heads and the landowners to obtain their consensus.  Surveyors of the Department will not persist with survey work should the people object and refuse to give permission for their land to be surveyed.    

Once survey work has been completed, Apoh Baram will be gazetted as Native Communal Reserve.  The Gazette will describe clearly the surveyed land within the Native Communal Reserve and refer to an official plan to define the precise boundaries thereof.  The land will not be taken away from the people.  Instead, communities having a Native Communal Reserve have control over their land and will be able to detect and prevent any unlawful intrusion upon their land.

Officers from Land and Survey Miri will get in touch with the relevant community leaders from Long Atip to find out their grievances and work together with them to resolve the matter.  The Department will also be sending its officers to Long Atip soon to meet the people and explain the situation to them.