Return NCR land to owners? ‘Nonsense’
By Joseph Tawie, Free MalaysiaToday
KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Planning and Resource Management Naroden Majais today dismissed as “nonsensical” a statement by an opposition leader that Pakatan Rakyat will return the native customary rights (NCR) land to the owners if Pakatan forms the next state government.
“It is a nonsensical statement just to please the ears of the people to achieve Pakatan political agenda,” Naroden said.
“In the first place, there is no question of returning NCR land to the people of Sarawak as the current government never takes away NCR land from the natives,” he added.
Naroden was commenting on a statement by PKR vice-president Azmin Ali early this week at Rumah Rangong, Ulu Niah, in the Miri division.
Azmin had said that the people should not reject Pakatan which was an alternative to the BN government. Instead, they should vote the opposition into power in the coming state election if they wanted their land to be returned to them.
“All this while the government has always recognised NCR land,” said Naroden, who is also Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur Development.
He said that native customary rights were protected under Section 15 of the Land Code, which provides that “such land shall not be alienated or be used for a public purpose until all customary rights have been surrendered or terminated or provision for compensating the persons entitled thereto have been made”.
Empty promises
Naroden said that the issue of provisional lease for large-scale plantations, licence for planted forests and timber licence always excluded NCR land.
“Where NCR lands are acquired by the government for development projects, then there are provisions under Sections 5(3) and (4) of the Land Code for payment of adequate compensation.
