Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh said while the Sarawak government has introduced initiatives to expedite NCR land surveys, progress remains unsatisfactory.

“Many villagers have waited years for their land surveys to be completed.

“In some cases, the land has already been identified and mapped, but the final survey process and issuance of titles take far too long, causing uncertainty among the landowners,” Dayak Daily reported him as saying in the state assembly today.

Miro questioned why official surveys appeared to be significantly slower than efforts undertaken by the Bidayuh National Association (DBNA), which has carried out boundary marking and preliminary documentation in several villages.

He suggested that the land and survey department utilise existing DBNA documentation to expedite formal surveys, mapping and recognition of land boundaries between landowners.

“This delay has significant implications for the people. Without land titles or official recognition, villagers face difficulties in obtaining agricultural loans and are unable to develop their land commercially.

“The people are not asking for new rights. They only want long-established inherited rights to be formally recognised in a manner that is swift, fair and transparent,” he said.