KUCHING, 17 MARCH, 2010: Sarawak wants to narrow the information gap on land-related issues at the grassroots level to counter "recycled" issues being harped on by certain quarters, especially during elections, said state Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan.

He said it was important to disseminate correct information through seminars and dialogues on the government's stand that it recognised native customary rights (NCR) land, as long as it was in accordance with the law.

"The main problem is that there are people who try to claim state land as their NCR land and there are people behind this but we cannot compromise on this," he told reporters after being interviewed on the Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) "Bicawara Kinek Tok Sarawak" programme, which was pre-recorded at the Kuching Waterfront here last night.

He said all the opposition candidates who banked on such recycled issues were defeated in previous elections, including in the Batang Ai state by-election last year.

His ministry, as the trustee for the enforcement of the state land ordinance, would also not compromise on those manipulating the people to claim state land as NCR land because they were interested to develop the area.

"Otherwise there will be a chaotic situation in terms of land administration," Awang Tengah said, adding that the Sarawak Land and Survey Department organised Meet-the-Customers Day besides collaborating with the Information Department and RTM to disseminate information on land-related issues.

At present, Sarawak has an estimated 1.5 million hectares of largely idle or under-developed NCR land and the state government planned to expedite the implementation of land development under the new NCR development concept, he
said.

Meanwhile, Sarawak's Ministry of Land Development permanent secretary Datuk Jaul Sameon said the National Key Results Area (NKRA) Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit) Committee on the Government Transformation
Programme (GTP) for Sabah and Sarawak would be presenting its recommendations on land matters to the state government by the end of this month.

Jaul, who is a committee member for the land laboratory to enhance bumiputera development in the two states, said some drastic changes were being proposed with non-governmental organisations, community leaders, stakeholders and those directly affected involved in the participation.
 

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