KUCHING, Jan 24 — Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg today said that the state government is committed to amend the Sarawak Land Code that will give the force of law to the practices of “pemakai menoa” and “pulau galau”, which the natives regard as their customary rights (NCR) lands.
He said a Bill to amend the land code will give one legal definition to the practice of “pemakai menoa” (territorial domain) and “pulau galau” (communal forest reserves) and the same must apply for for all the native communities in Sarawak.
The chief minister noted that the Federal Court, in a landmark case in December 2016, had ruled that the practice of “pemakai menoa” and “pulau galau” was not found in the land code so it had no force of law.
“The state government acknowledged that the ruling on the practice had caused a lot of anxieties, dissatisfaction and a perception that the government was a land grabber,” he told reporters after opening a two-day NCR Land Forum here.
About 450 delegates including 368 community leaders from all the native groups in Sarawak are attending the forum.
In the ruling on an appeal by the state director of forest and state government, the apex court reversed the decisions of the High Court and Court of Appeal that favoured headman Sandak anak Tabau and seven other plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs, suing on behalf of themselves and 22 other villagers, had claimed that they had customary rights over areas which they claimed as their territorial domain and communal forest reserves, in Ulu Machan, Kanowit.
Earlier in his speech, Abang Johari said that as chief minister, he will find the best possible solution to the NCR land issues.
“I have a moral standing to solve the problems, but we need all the inputs from all the communities,” Abang Johari said, referring to his promise to predecessor Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, who had, hours before his demise on January 11, 2017, directed him to settle the NCR land problems.
He said based on the directive, an NCR land taskforce under Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and a working committee was formed.
He said the taskforce has come up with concrete proposals, but the state government needs to go beyond this.
