KUCHING: The Bidayuh Council of Elders has chided Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin over his claim during the current Parliament session on Monday on the native customary rights (NCR) land issue.
Council chairman Temenggong Austin Dimin lambasted Willie for claiming that the NCR land survey was done in only one or two villages.
In a statement issued yesterday, Austin clarified that the perimeter survey of native customary rights (NCR) land has been approved for a total of 94 Bidayuh villages.
“Individual titles under Section 18 (of State Land Code) have also been issued to 3,832 landowners affecting 2,958 agriculture lots.
“And, the titles have been and will be presented to the landowners at any time of the year, not just
during elections like some are claiming.
“For example, land titles had been presented at Kampung Tian Sekawan in Serian on Nov 27 last year, Kampung Pichin, Serian on Dec 14 last year and Singai, Bau on Jan 19 this year.
“And another upcoming ceremony will be held at Bau Civic Centre for folks from three villages this Oct 23,” he pointed out.
Urging Willie to substantiate his claims with relevant data, Austin brushed aside the Puncak Borneo MP’s allegation that the perimeter survey of NCR land was done under the shadow of GPS “ministers and big towkays”.
“A total 13 ‘bung’ (ancestral settlement sites on hills and mountains) have also been identified and proposed to be surveyed as communal reserves.
“And, eight of these ‘bung’ have successfully been approved and gazetted as communal reserves and heritage centres.
“This shows that it is the Bidayuh themselves who are benefiting from the survey,” he said.
On Monday, Willie made the claims when Batang Sadong MP Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri questioned why Pakatan Harapan (PH) government did not allocate funds for Native Customary Rights (NCR) land perimeter survey in the 2020 Budget. – New Sarawak Tribune
