189 landowners in Bintulu receive Section 18 titles as Sarawak steps up NCR surveying drive

Awang Tengah (fifth left) witnessing the handing over of NCR land title to landowners at BDA Auditorium, Wisma Bintulu on June 29, 2026. Photo credit: Ukas

By DayakDaily Team

BINTULU, June 30: The Sarawak government is intensifying efforts to recognise and safeguard Native Customary Rights (NCR) land through a systematic surveying programme grounded in legal provisions and verified evidence.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the government not only recognises NCR land but is also actively carrying out structured land measurement exercises to ensure landowners’ rights are properly documented and protected.

“The traditional village surveying programme and the new NCR land surveying initiative are ongoing government efforts. They will continue for as long as they are needed, as the government remains committed to the welfare of the people,” he said in a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news.

He highlighted this at the handover ceremony for land titles under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code and Temporary Occupation Licences (TOL) for the Bintulu Division, held at the BDA Auditorium, Wisma Bintulu on Monday (June 29).

According to him, since the introduction of the new NCR initiative in 2010, more than 1.238 million hectares of NCR land have been successfully surveyed across Sarawak, while nearly 967,000 hectares have been gazetted under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code.

He noted that these achievements far exceed the total area surveyed prior to 2010, reflecting the effectiveness of the government’s enhanced approach in accelerating NCR land registration and recognition.

“Land surveys are conducted based on applications from landowners, supported by valid evidence, and carried out through continuous engagement with local communities. This is to prevent boundary disputes and ensure that all claims are fairly and accurately addressed,” he explained.

Awang Tengah urged the public to cooperate fully with the Land and Survey Department throughout the process to enable more landowners to obtain legal titles for their land.

At the event, 189 landowners received land titles under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code, while another 39 received Temporary Occupation Licences (TOL).
Bintulu Divisional Land and Survey Superintendent Sr Haslinda Hamdan said the 189 land titles issued under Section 18 covered a total area of 761.437 hectares, alongside 39 TOLs involving 39 lots.

“The land titles covered areas in Sungai Senunok and Sungai Kelebu in the Kakus constituency, Rasan River in Tubau covering parts of the Murum and Kemena constituencies, as well as Sepadoh River in the Jepak constituency.

“The TOLs were issued to 39 recipients under the Kampung Melayu Tubau Village Expansion Scheme (SPK), to provide a more organised residential area for the local community,” she added.

Haslinda also stressed that the Sarawak Land and Survey Department will continue to intensify efforts to expedite land surveying and title issuance, ensuring more people are able to secure legal recognition of their land ownership.

Also present were Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai, Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Majang Renggi, Murum Assemblyman Kennedy Chukpai Ugon, and Jepak assemblyman Iskandar Turkee. — DayakDaily