KUCHING: Murum State Assemblyman, Chukpai Ugon has proposed that the amendment of the Land Code Bill 2018 should not limit the Native Territorial Domain (NTD) to only 500 hectares.
Instead, he proposed that the NTD should be determined according to the custom and the need of the community concerned on a case-to-case basis.
“Limiting it to 500 hectares will not be fair and equitable for communities in Hulu Rejang, Kapit, Balleh, and Baram, and even Limbang,” he said during State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here yesterday.
“With regards to the amendment which limits the area of NTD to 500 hectares, this will not be acceptable or reasonable for the settlements in my area and other interior areas whereby longhouses may have more than 100 doors.
“This also includes the areas that they have been foraging, hunting and fishing as much larger than 500 hectares.
“Limiting the NTD for these bigger settlements with 100 doors or more households or ‘pintu’ will mean that each household will have only 3 to 5 hectares which is obviously insufficient and not reflective of their current practices and needs,” he said.
Earlier on, he urged that the term NTD be adopted for all the amendment as to have general application to all natives of Sarawak.
“This is due to the different terms used by different native communities to refer to their respective customs and practices which is the equivalent of Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau among the Iban community,” said Ugon.
