KUCHING: Sarawak is thankful for the RM41 million allocation in Budget 2021 for native customary rights (NCR) lands surveying programmes in Sabah and Sarawak.
“I express my gratitude to the federal government because in this budget, despite the constraints we face, the government still remembers the problems of surveying and managing NCR lands.
“Sarawak is a fairly large state and a lot of areas have not been surveyed yet. So surveying like that, does require a large amount of fund,” Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said when met by reporters after attending the Sarawak Arts Council Board of Directors appreciation dinner here.
He pointed out that the indigenous people in Malaya were also given similar allocation for their customary lands to be surveyed as well.
The RM41 million allocation for NCR lands in Sabah and Sarawak is not a big deal.
“When it is divided, both states would get around RM20 million each. It is not a big deal, but we should be thankful.
“Because we know the federal government needs money to help revive the economy and help those who are in trouble, through certain aids following Covid-19,” he said.
