KUCHING: The special provisions for native customary land rights in Sarawak should be continued, said Mas Gading Member of Parliament Mordi Bimol.
Mordi also said that the customary tribunal of native customary land such as written in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto is hoped to be established on the basis of responsibility, not for GPS, but for the community in rural areas
“In the manifesto of PH, it is written to recognise the rights of customary land ownership, creating a special tribunal of customary land and provide funding for perimeter surveys,” he said in his debate speech on National Budget 2019 at Parliament sitting on Thursday.
He said that the previous government, since 2010, had allocated RM154.5million federal funds for perimeter surveys, despite its implementation
being unclear.
“But the new national budget today does not touch about customary land.
“Therefore, I would like to suggest that special provisions for customary land in Sarawak is continued and the establishment of customary tribunal for customary land to be done,” he said.
He pointed that he also wanted to touch on the reformation of the agro-food sub-sector.
“I am hoping that this reform will be carried out in selected rural areas in the effort of building collecting centres and farming processing centres.
“Because in Sarawak, most of the farming process is just being done in ordinary manner as there is no advantage or facility such as a factory or processing place,” he said and adding that the past government had channelled RM1.3 million for the MD2 Pineapple project in Bau.
“Looking at the amount of investment and effort that has been made and the potential of the project to local communities in Mas Gading and
Puncak Borneo, I hope the government will continue to help our rural entrepreneurs and our smallholders that are left out due to the change of government.
“In the area of Mas Gading, I have seen some of the young people who are so serious with the farming of vegetables such as cucumber, eggplant, petola, melons and chilies.
“What they need now is the injection of funds
to buy machinery for the purpose of plowing, provision for making the roads
to their farmland,” Mordi pointed out.
Therefore, he hoped the effort towards empowerment of young people especially in rural agriculture will be given attention.
