The Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources has assured that Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code protects the rights of the natives in the state over their land. Its Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said one of the cases which proves that the native rights are protected under the Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code is the outcome of the Federal Court case between The Superintendent of Land and Survey Department, Bintulu and others versus Amit Salleh and others. In the case, it was decided that any extinguishment of rights gazetted within Section 6 would require payment of compensation. Thus, he would like to emphasise the fact that gazetting an area under Section 6 of the Land Code is the first step to register and protect the rights of the people over ...

THE once-shelved light rail transit (LRT) project has been revived, starting with the first phase covering the Kuching-Samarahan sector which will be built soon, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. Abang Johari said the Sarawak government will proceed with the construction of the LRT line following “many requests” from the public. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), he revealed the project’s construction will involve a cost of less than RM5 billion. He said he had received many complaints from the public regarding the traffic jam on the Kuching-Samarahan expressway, and the need for an LRT as a form of public transportation was further necessitated by the 20,000-strong student population ...

KUCHING: A total of 24,035 hectares or 59,035 acres of native customary rights (NCR) land in the Layar state constituency have been approved for perimeter survey. Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh said at the same time, 23,570 hectares or 58,242 acres of land have already gone through the perimeter survey, while 23,202 hectares or 57,322 acres of NCR land have been gazetted as communal reserves under Section 6 of the Land Code. He said when replying to Layar assemblyman Gerald Rentap Jabu during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.   According to Len Talif, the Land and Survey Department has approved lot perimeter survey for individuals involving eight hectares, or 20 acres, of land in Sungai ...

KUCHING: The Sarawak government is presently conducting a study on Rural Growth Centres (RGCs) and Small Isolated Rural Communities towards enhancing the standard of living of the rural folk. Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the study, which is carried out by the Sarawak Planning Unit (SPU), aimed at proposing a development plan for improving the standard of living of small isolated rural communities and their surrounding areas in relation to the RGCs. “This study covers a total of 11 approved RGCs and 15 proposed RGCs and all the 5,000 small isolated rural communities and their surrounding areas outside major towns,” he said when replying to Ngemah assemblyman Alexander Vincent yesterday. Sagah said a decision will be ...

KUCHING: A model farm on fertigation farming will soon be established at SMK Spaoh in Betong, reveals Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas. According to him, this is to provide rural folk with an insight to modern farming. “Modern agriculture or modern farming is an evolving approach based on technology to help farmers increase efficiency and productivity. “We have huge potential as the state still has plenty of lands available,” he said at the Spaoh Sub-District Longhouse Chiefs Association (SSLCA) pre-Gawai Dayak dinner in Spaoh last night. Uggah, who is also Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, pointed out that with the Sarawak government’s plan to build an airstrip in Betong to transport ...

KUCHING: Farmers can now sell surplus fresh local fruits during the fruiting season to the Department of Agriculture Sarawak. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the department’s Agro-Based Industry Section is buying these fresh fruits, to be processed into snacks for export. He explained that because there was no such programme previously, surplus fruits had to be left to waste. “We have a lot of grouses from farmers who could not derive any income with any bountiful harvest (during fruiting season). “Thus with this programme, we are there to help them,” he told reporters on the sideline of the ongoing State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, here yesterday. Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native ...

KUCHING: The Sarawak government will carry on its Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (Sares) to ensure households in rural and regional areas are provided with 24-hour power supply. Assistant Minister of Rural Electricity Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said Sares is meant for areas where villages and longhouse have no access to the main power grid. “This year, 88 villages and longhouses are expected to benefit from Sares,” he said in a reply to Rolland Duat Jubin (GPS-Meluan) in the august House today. Dr Abdul Rahman said the proposed Sares project for Sungai Mujok in Meluan will commence in 2020 and is expected to be completed in eight months. He added that the estimated project cost was RM19 million and will benefit 312 households in the area ...

KUCHING: There are eight collection, processing and packaging centres (CPPCs) to be implemented in Sarawak through the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development. Agriculture Assistant Minister Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail said these CPPCs are to be located at Tarat in Serian Division, Layar and Spaoh (Betong Division), Lawas and Limbang (Limbang Division), Sadong Jaya (Samarahan Division), Long Lama (Miri Division) and Sungai Baji (Sarikei Division). “Tarat CPPC is now under construction. The others are either at design stage or tender documentation stage. Contracts are expected to be awarded this year,” he said yesterday, in response to the question posed by Mong Dagang (GPS-Bukit Begunan) on how many agricultural CPPCs the ministry proposed ...

KUCHING: The Sarawak government has proposed six major amendments to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution, to be sought upon conclusion of the Malaysia Agreement (MA63) discussions with the federal government. The list containing the matters was circulated to all august House members when a motion to amend the Federal Constitution was moved by Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali. This list, however, was not exhaustive and subject to further consideration, particularly by members of the House and the Consultative Committee set up for this purpose in the last sitting of the State Legislative Assembly. The six major amendments to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution are as follows: 1. The States ...

KUCHING: The Sarawak government is willing to listen and offer incentives to filmmaking companies here to develop the local film industry, which also covers creative contents, so that it would be able to showcase the tourism attractions in Sarawak. In this regard, Minister  of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah believes that the onus falls on the filmmakers and financiers to ‘unearth the best stories that we have in Asean, and to give them the spotlight that they deserve’. He said this in his opening remarks for the launch of ‘Asean International Film Festival and Awards (Aiffa) Biz World 2019’ at Kuching Old Courthouse yesterday. The Aiffa Biz World 2019 would serve as a key platform for business networking ...