PAKAN: A total of 46 individuals received 60 land compensation cheques amounting to RM1,611,497.50 for the Ulu-Paku-Ulu Kota Link Road Construction and Ulu Paku Road, Sarikei Upgrading projects.

The cheques were presented by Sarawak Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment, Datuk Len Talif Salleh representing Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan at the Pakan Community Hall, today.

At the same event, Datuk Len also handed out land titles under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code to 77 recipients involving 100 lots spanning 183.7933 hectares in the Pakan Road/SESCO/Entabai area.

In his text of speech read by Datuk Len, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah emphasised that the Sarawak government continues to safeguard the interest of Native Customary Land (NCR) landowners through ongoing survey works under Section 6 and Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code.

He said as of August 31, 2024, the Sarawak Land and Survey Department has successfully conducted perimeter surveys covering approximately 1,155,022 hectares (or 2.8 million acres) of NCR land throughout Sarawak.

“Of this, 910,183 hectares or 2.24 million acres have been gazetted (under Section 6).

Individual lot surveys and the issuance of Section 18 land titles under the Sarawak Land Code are actively ongoing,” he said.

Datuk Amar Awang Tengah added that the surveying of NCR land is initiated only upon request from claimants.

Submitted applications are reviewed based on legal frameworks and valid evidence before approval for surveying, he added.

“In cases that involve disputes or court proceedings, surveying work will not proceed unless the case has been withdrawn, in which case the claimant must reapply for the NCR land survey,” the Sarawak Deputy Premier said.

Also present were Pakan Assemblyman, Tan Sri Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom, Deputy Director (Operation) of the Sarawak Land and Survey Department, Norlina Raee, Director of Sarawak State Development of the Implementation Coordination Unit, Prime Minister’s Department, Jasni Jobli, Deputy Resident of Sarikei Division, Badjuri Bidin, Pakan District Officer, Mohd Irwan Abdullah@William Manggoi, and Land and Survey Sarikei Division Superintendent, Thian Choon Kui. -UKASnews