Villagers happy NCR land gazetted as native communal reserve

CONTENTED: Gani (left) receives a framed title of the land from Adenan (third left). Also seen are Daniel (second left) and Jien (fourth left).

Borneo Post on June 28, 2012, Thursday

BAU: Some 400 families from Kampung Grogo and Sibuluh here can breathe a heavy sigh of relief now that their native customary rights (NCR) land has been gazetted as a native communal (agriculture) reserve.

Kpg Grogo village head Gani Jonek said it was good news for the villagers as it would erase all uncertainties on the status of their NCR land.

“We are very happy that our native customary rights (NCR) land has been surveyed en-bloc and now we can verify that it is our native communal land. When we applied for the perimeter survey in 2010, it was immediately approved and the surveying work commenced in March 2011.

“We really appreciate what has been done by the government. We are content now that we know our land is recognised as NCR land. There will not be any dispute anymore,” he told reporters when met at the ceremony held at the District Office here.

On hand to receive the title was Kpg Sibuluh headman Jien Nyobek, who also shared Gani’s views.

Special Functions Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem officiated at the ceremony, which was also attended by Land and Survey Department assistant director Abdullah Julaihi and Pemanca Daniel Teho.

The area affected under Kpg Grogo is 1,981.99 hectares, owned by about 200 families.

As for Kpg Sibuluh, the area affected is 987 hectares, belonging to 253 families.

Asked on what they would do next, Gani said they would call in Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) to carry out perimeter survey on the individual parcels of land before approaching Land and Survey for individual titles.

Meanwhile, Adenan, who is also Tanjung Datu assemblyman, was happy to note the enthusiastic response given by the people to the NCR perimeter survey initiative.

“Initially when we started the programme the response was very lukewarm but after a while when they saw us giving out the gazette notification they began to believe we are sincere,” he said.