BETONG, Dec 9 — Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the state government has rejected a suggestion by a Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal minister for Sarawak to adopt the National Land Code in its land administration.
He said the suggestion was conveyed to him at a meeting with the federal minister in Putrajaya recently.
“The suggestion was not only preposterous but also ignores the peculiarities and complexities surrounding land issues in the state,” he said during a meet-the-people session at Munggu Gernis here last night.
Uggah said he told the federal minister that Sarawak had its own Land Code based on its State Constitution.
“We have our peculiarities and complexities like the Native Customary Rights (NCR) land,” he said, adding that there are other related issues like the territorial domain (pemakai menoa) and the communal forest reserves (pulau galau) to think about that is incorporated in the state land code.
“As such a single national land code is impractical and a non-issue.
“We know our situation best. We know what our people want. We listen to their problems.
“We also have our own plans and programmes to solve them and to protect the state's rights over our own resources and wealth,” Uggah, who is also the state Minister of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, said, explaining why Sarawak must continue to be governed by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and local parties to protect state's rights.
Uggah reminded the people not to easily believe constant postings in the social media that the GPS government would continue to grab land of the natives without fair compensation for big development projects purpose.
He dismissed the posting as mere rhetoric of the opposition to undermine the people's confidence in the state government.
“Do not believe everything that you read there, but verify what you read with the relevant authorities,” he said.
