Mawan: SDNU to help govt hasten perimeter survey of NCR land

KUCHING (Jan 11): Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) aims to facilitate the government’s push for the implementation of the New Initiative of Perimeter Survey of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.

Its president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom said the challenges in this effort include changing the mindset of land owners, particularly the Ibans in the rural areas, after they had been instigated to go against the initiative by the Opposition for so long.

The Pakan assemblyman believes the political climate is apparently conducive to re-evaluate the values of the initiative, now that most of those who used to be in the Opposition fold are now with the government, at least at federal level.

“Land matters have been over politicised over the years to the extent that some people were even hoodwinked into believing that the government then was out to cheat landowners, grab their land and change the ownership of their land. Of course, these are all lies. The government has no intention to cheat,” he said when met here today.

“A lot of good time has been wasted since the initiative was mooted by the government in 2010. The twist and spin better stop. Enough damage has been done to ourselves (Dayak NCR land owners) due to politics,” he added.

The Iban land owners may pose the greatest challenge in the effort compared to the Bidayuhs simply because the Ibans have the largest tract of NCR land scattered all over Sarawak, and this is compounded by the large number of owners for any single plot.

There may also be multiple claims to plots of land, making it difficult for the government to out rightly issue Sarawak Land Code’s (SLC) Section 18 land titles to individuals.

To resolve this particular problem, it would be best for the affected communities to go for the SLC’s Section 6 communal land titles firstly, he said.

‘It would be better for them to get titles for the NCR land comprising Temuda and Pulau Galau first as these pose the least challenge as far as the processes are concerned,” he added.

Mawan, who is an advisor in the Sarawak Premier’s Office for food industry, commodity and regional development matters, said the Bidayuh community had successfully implemented the initiative at their villages in Kuching Division by coming up with a module special for them.

SDNU, he added, is willing to compare notes, cross reference methods and collaborate with the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) in making sure that the implementation of the initiative is hastened in Sarawak.