KUCHING: Villagers from the Bidayuh villages of Kpg Skuduk in Padawan and Kpg Pisa in Krokong in Bau, which are among the first villages to participate in the self-help initiative to document native customary rights (NCR) land in Feb 2012 have been given titles to the land they surveyed.
According to state PKR vice-chairman Boniface Willy Tumek, then Special Functions Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem promised to instruct the Land and Survey Department to issue individual land titles on all Bidayuh NCR land documented by Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA).
“By Dec 2013, all the documentation works on all land belonging to Bidayuhs who participated in the initiatives were completed. In Singgai, Bau all the villages participated. The success rate of the initiative in Singgai was almost 100 per cent and it had cost the participating villagers close to RM500,000,” he told a press conference yesterday.
The self-help initiative to document the NCR land of the Bidayuh community was initiated by DBNA in 2009 to facilitate the survey of the NCR land of the Bidayuhs by the state government and then the issuance of land titles.
The target then was to document the NCR land of residents from 194 villages in the Bidayuh belt of the first division of 2013.
Boniface, who is PKR Mas Gading branch chairman, said he was made to understand that at least 56 GPS maps produced by DBNA from 50 Bidayuh villages were submitted to the Chief Minister’s office around March 2014, adding that hopes were high that land titles would be speedily issued by the Land and Survey Department based on the DBNA maps.
“Sadly, until today, no individual land titles other than those issued in 2012 to villagers of Kpg Skuduk and Kpg Pisa have been issued.”
Boniface said the entire Bidayuh community is now wondering if Adenan had forgotten his promise in 2012 to have titles issued for their NCR land.
“They were also asking why Infrastructure Development and Communications Ministry and DBNA advisor Dato Sri Michael Manyin had not been able to use the attractiveness of the six BN fixed deposit constituencies in the Bidayuh belt to maximum effect and get the land titles issued.
He said the Bidayuh community seemed to be sidelined in the elevation of the Serian district into a division in April this year and to the proposed new Serian Township.
“This proposed new township, to be developed by Borneo Development Corporation (BDC) will sit on an area covering 178 acres.
“They are asking where their place is in all these development when their NCR lands have not even been issued with individual land titles yet. For now, they are mere spectators to all these developments.
Boniface said the Bidayuh community now called on Adenan to fulfill his promise to DBNA and the community by causing individual document of titles to be issued on their land immediately.
“They said they have been the government’s fixed deposit for so long and the government must now reciprocate by giving them the land titles they have been waiting for.
“They noted that traditionally, the government give out land titles in the run-up to a general election and since the state election is fast approaching, now is an opportune time for the government to pay interest on their fixed deposit.-Borneo Post
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