Awang Tengah (third from right) witnesses Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang (second from right) presenting a certificate to a land owner.
SARAWAK has surveyed a total of 1.19 million hectares of native customary right (NCR) land as of Feb 27 this year.
Deputy Premier Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said 935,000ha had been gazetted as Bumiputera Communal Reserves under Section 6 of the State Land Code (SLC).
“Additionally, 98,340 individual lots, covering 117,051ha, have been surveyed under Section 18, with land titles issued for 32,185 lots, spanning 45,000ha,” added Awang Tengah.
He said this at the presentation of 157 land titles to 133 recipients from the Igu/Tamin area in Selangau and Pasai Siong.
A total of RM6.79mil in compensation was to be distributed to 365 landowners whose lands were acquired for various development projects.
These included the Baleh-Mapai 500KV transmission line, road construction works in Sungai Lengan and the upgrading of the Salim Water Treatment Plant.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Sarawak Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister, urged NCR landowners involved in disputes to resolve their issues amicably.
He said the Sarawak Land and Survey Department is unable to proceed with survey works on NCR lands that are under dispute or involved in court proceedings.
“Settle the matters amicably and with wisdom. Only then can applicants submit a fresh application to rejoin the NCR Land Survey Programme.
“If even a single claimant disagrees, the survey will not proceed,” he said.
Awang Tengah also reminded landowners that claims must be accompanied with valid legal evidence and correspond with existing government records.
