BAU: A total of 280,000 hectares of native customary rights (NCR) land throughout the state have been surveyed as of May this year. Assistant director (Land) of the state Land and Survey Department Abdullah Julaihi, in revealing this, said that more than 500 applications had been processed since the parameter survey initiative started in Nov 2010. Of the number, more than 100 applicants already had their NCR land boundaries verified.

“The size of land of each application ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 acres (depending on total households involved in each application). The biggest areas that we had surveyed and gazetted so far are in Sarikei, Miri and Kapit,” Abdullah told reporters after attending the Native Communal (agriculture) Reserve gazette presentation ceremony for residents of Kpg Grogo and Kpg Sibuluh at the district office here yesterday.

Minister of Special Functions in the Chief Minister’s Office, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem, who is also Tanjung Datu assemblyman, officiated at the ceremony.

Julaihi added that to date, 77 applicants had their Bumiputera Communal Reserve land gazetted with land titles already presented to more than 30 applicants comprising Iban, Bidayuh, Orang-Ulu, Malay and Melanau throughout the state.

“This exercise is still on-going. Those on the ground should verify their NCR land with the Land and Survey Dept office nearest to them. Our offices have been instructed to assist the people considering that we have the map, tools and whatsoever.”

The NCR land initiative project was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on July 22, 2010, in Miri. The parameter surveying work commenced the same year and would continue under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011 till 2015).

(Source: The Borneo Post, 28 June 2012)