Land ruckus, Sarawak has it!

By Joseph Tawie

When it comes to leasing out Dayak NCR (native customary rights) lands to private companies, even the NCR land belonging to Sarawak’s Head of State Abang Muhammad Salahuddin is not spared.

“Even those of our present Yang d-Pertua Negeri (governor) has been leased to a company for prawn farming, said Baru Bian, a prominent NCR land lawyer. 

Mohd-salahuddin.png“It is not only the NCR lands of the Dayaks that are affected; in fact all the natives of Sarawak NCR lands are taken away too,” he said. 

The governor is a Melanau from Sibu. Abang Muhammad is the first person to hold double position as the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak. His first was from 1977 to 1981. He was again re-appointed in 2001 and has served as Head of State since then. 

However, it is not known whether the governor’s land was leased voluntarily or involuntarily. A call by the Malaysian Mirror to the Astana in Kuching drew a blank. 

“I wish to state that even a NCR land belonging to our present governor was affected by the issuance of a Provisional Lease to a company for prawn farming, as revealed in one of the cases I handled, a decision, which is still pending in the High Court at Kuching,” Bian said in a statement to the Mirror. 

“Such is the unbridled power of the present State BN Government of which these Dayak leaders are proudly part of. If the Head of State’s NCR land can be affected, none of those belonging to ordinary Sarawakians are protected and safe from such the abuse of power today.

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