Govt out to make Ibans ‘scavengers’?

| February 4, 2013

The government's perimeter surveys of NCR land will leave Ibans landless because once surveyed under Section 6 of the Land Code, the plot will be classified as communal reserve.

KUCHING: Thousands of natives in Sarawak stand to lose their longhouses and dignity if the state government continues to carry out perimeter survey of their respective native customary rights (NCR) land.

Warning fellow natives, Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) which has been in the forefront in fighting for NCR rights over their ancestral land said thousands of longhouses in Sarawak may disappear if the the process continues.

“What we worry is that if the government continues to carry out a parameter survey of NCR land under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land code, the government is actually extinguishing the rights of the natives over their land.

“If this happens, the Ibans in particular will become landless because the government has turned the land into communal reserve land.

“Any time the government wants the land, it can alienate to anyone,” said Sadia president Sidi Munan.

Since the perimeter survey started in 2010, hundreds of thousands of hectares of NCR land have been surveyed and converted into native communal reserve land.

There are more than 1.5 million hectares of NCR land in the state.

On top of that, thousands of hectares of NCR land are being encroached upon by plantation companies and other commercial entities.

Said Sidi: “When the Ibans become landless, they cannot carry out their farming activities anymore. They have become squatters in their own land.

“There are cases where they have been chased away from their land and their longhouses demolished.

“Where do they go from here?” he said when asked by FMT to elaborate further on his statement on urban poor made at a Sadia dinner on Saturday night.

Social problems

According to Sidi, majority of the landless Ibans had migrated to big cities and towns, and some went to other states like Johor in search of employment.

“Their longhouses are gradually abandoned. Now there is the real possibility that Iban longhouse will disappear in the future as more of them migrate to the towns.

“But I must warn you that their migration to towns will create more social problems such as prostitution, crimes, gangsterism and urban poverty.

“It is a common sight to see some of them becoming scavengers.

“This is because they lack the necessary skills,” he said adding that Sadia and Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) were willing to cooperate with any organisation or individuals who ‘championed the poor and needy’.

He said that Kuching Society for Urban Poor (SKUP) and Green Ribbon Association were doing a good job to assist squatters and the poor in Kuching.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

continue being the eyes, ears and mouthpiece of the government.

SANDAKAN: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman wants the Sabah Natives' Affairs Council (MHEAINS) to establish a database on native laws and customs.

This would strengthen the Native Court institution and MHEAINS should look into forging cooperation with higher learning institutions and related bodies in the matter, he said.

"The database should include information on cases handled by the native courts in the state as well as their judgments.

"It is crucial for reference by other such courts when handling similar cases in the future.

"I also request that cases be decided swiftly so that the people will be satisfied with the Native Court."

Musa said this at the opening of the biennial conference for the state's customary chiefs at a hotel here on Monday.

Since the state's Native Court institution was still relevant, Musa said the government would focus on the improvement of its system and other aspects in its administration.

This was reflected in the ground-breaking of the Native Court Training Institute in Penampang by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last year as well as the plan to build another six courts in the state.

Musa also called on the customary chiefs, including district chiefs and native chiefs, to continue being the eyes, ears and mouthpiece of the government.

"They are the implementers of government policies.

"They have an important role in assisting the government preserve the unity and identity of the people here."

Musa added that community leaders should do their best to ensure the government's development programmes reached their target groups.

In this respect, he said he was puzzled by claims made by opposition leaders that they pitied the people of Sabah because there was purportedly no development in the state.

"This is an insult to customary chiefs here.

"They have been working hard with elected representatives to bring development to their constituencies.

"I want to tell them (the opposition leaders) not to teach the duck how to swim.

"We have brought about so much development to the state, especially since Najib became the prime minister."

Musa said that the state government had stopped logging in more than 300ha of land, in addition to implementing programmes to replant high-value trees for future generations.

He said investors, especially big companies, were willing to come to the state and pour in millions of ringgit in investment because they had confidence in the state's political stability.

"It is up to us to explain and convince the grassroots that they must make the right choices for development, provided by the Barisan Nasional led-government, to continue.

"We need to remind the grassroots not to be hoodwinked by the empty promises made by the opposition."

About 400 customary leaders from the state took part in the conference, where nine working papers were tabled.