By Adeng Idrus

LAWAS: Two Native Customary Rights (NCR) areas belonging to the Lun Bawang community in Lawas District have been gazetted as Native Communal Reserves under Sections 6 of the Sarawak Land Code.

According to the Head of the Divisional Land and Survey Department Hardi bin Fadillah Hamzah, the perimeter survey at Sahabat Baru area, which encompasses Kampung Sahabat Baru, Kampung Long Segaman, Kampung Pengaleh and Kampung Limpaki, covering a total area of 196 hectares, started on 6 December, 2010 and was completed on 30 December, 2010.

The perimeter survey at Sungai Banganga, which encompasses Kampung Long Tukon and Kampung Long Kachü, covering a total area of 213 hectares, was conducted from 30 September to 26 October, 2010.

Hardi revealed that under the New NCR Initiative, 48 areas throughout Sarawak had been gazetted as Native Communal Reserves and 25 gazette notifications had been presented to the representatives of the villagers.

The presentation of the gazette notifications to the residents in Sahábat Baru and Sungai Banganga areas yesterday brought the total number of gazette notifications issued to 27.

“The issuance of gazette notifications is part of the efforts of the government in recognizing the landowners’ rights over the land. it also proves that the landowners have been cooperating with the Land and Survey Department during the surveying work and that there have been no disputes on the land,” said Hardi.

The gazetting of NCR land as Native Communal Reserves under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code will guarantee and protect the ownership of the land.
The rights over the NCR land that have been gazetted will be administered and governed by traditional laws of the cornmunities that own the land.

With the gazette process, encroachment and boundary disputes will be lessened as the precise sizes and boundaries of Native Communal Reserves are stated very clearly.

“We wish to advise NCR land owners that the department will survey all NCR land in the state. In Limbang Division, perimeter survey is currently being conducted smoothly at Kampung Ranggu/Pengkalan Jawa area, covering 184 hectares,” said Hãrdi

He disclosed that perimeter survey would be conducted end of this month at eight other areas, namely, Kampung Pangkalan Gurah, Kampung Paya Megaliong, Kampung Berawan, Kampung Melanjan, Kampung Tedungan/Bidang, Kampung Pandak in Limbang, and at Kampung Tanjong Bakong and Kampung Layong/ Serampa/Gelapas Laut in Lawas, càvering a total area of 2,553 hectares. Land owners, who have applied for the perimeter survey which have not started in their areas, are advised to be patient as the department is striving very hard to fulfill their requests.

The Divisional Land and Survey Department also urged NCR landowners to write in to the department if they want their land to be surveyed under the New NCR Initiative.
Besides that, land to be surveyed must be free from: any encumbrance or dispute.
The survey of NCR land under the new initiative is done on two stages. In the first stage, perimeter survey is conducted and the surveyed land is gazetted as Native Communal Reserve.

In the second stage, the owners of NCR land will have to determine their boundaries so that the Land and Survey. Department can survey the individual lots and issue land titles under Section 18 of Sarawak Land Code.

(Source: New Sarawak Tribune, 10 December 2011)