Salang suggests Sarawak to defer NCR land cases

JULAU: Julau Member of Parliament Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum today suggested that the Sarawak state government puts on hold all appeals or court cases involving Native Customary Right (NCR) land which are still pending.
He urged that the court cases not be pursued until the new amendments to the State Land Code on such land were passed in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly, hopefully, in May next year.
"This will be goodwill on the part of the government to the landowners," he told Bernama.
Salang said he made the suggestion solely in his capacity as a member of Parliament or the people's representative and not as a member of the special state committee formed to solve various issues related to such land.
This committee is led by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also Sarawak Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister.
He said among others, issues such as the definition or interpretation of the "pemakai menoa" (communal reserve) and the "pulau galau" (territorial domain) by the various native communities including the Penans are complicating the proposed amendments.
"It is not as easy as we initially thought it is. After the interviews and studies done by the Sarawak Native Customs and Traditions Council, we found that there are so many interpretations as regard to the "pemakai menoa" and "pulau galau."
"They are different among the different communities. They are even different in different places within the same community.
"For instance, the Ibans in places like Betong, Lubok Antu, Saribas, Julau or Kapit have their own definitions," Salang, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) secretary-general, said.
"For the purpose of the amendment, we need to have a standard definition and this is what the committee is still working hard toward," he said.
He added it was unfair to assume the committee was not serious or dragging their feet on the matter. — Bernama