Land status needs to be verified  

BINTULU: Residents, especially those in longhouses, should first check the land status with the relevant agencies before constructing new longhouses on identified land.

Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom, emphasised that this step is necessary to ensure the land is not government reserve land, planted forest, or provisional lease.

“Before building a house, ensure the land status is verified. The land should not be under a provisional lease (PL), planted forest, or similar. If it is under PL, you can negotiate.

“If the land is Native Customary Rights (NCR) land and has an owner, ensure that the Land and Survey Department determines its status. It can be negotiated, but there must be written agreements to avoid any disputes,” he said.

He made these remarks during the grant presentation ceremony for the Rural Transformation Project (MRP) and Sarawak’s Low-Income Housing Improvement Project (PPRMS) for the Kemena constituency, held at the Department of Agriculture meeting room on Thursday.

Additionally, Dr Rundi, who is also the assemblyman for Kemena, advised Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) not to rely solely on government grants for their development projects.

Instead, he encouraged them to be self-reliant and seek alternative means to cover the costs of developing their longhouses or villages.

During the ceremony, Dr Rundi presented MRP grants to 26 recipients, including JKKK, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), clubs, and associations.

He also presented PPRMS grants to ten longhouses in the Kemena constituency, totalling RM1,008,100.00.