BY JACINTHA JOLENE & ALEXANDRA LORNA
KUCHING: The federal government has agreed to provide an allocation of RM10 million to the Sarawak government to survey native customary rights (NCR) land.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hoped the allocation could resolve NCR land issues.
“Rights must be respected, and that is why when the Premier (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg) and the state government made decisions regarding NCR, I accepted them and considered them as wise decisions to address the grievances of the indigenous communities regarding NCR land.
“Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has requested an increase in allocation, so I agree to add an additional RM10 million this year,” he said at the Gawai Dayak 2023 celebration held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) last night (June 7).
Earlier, Uggah in his speech said that only RM2 million was allocated by the federal government this year for the purpose of carrying out NCR land surveys and appealed for an increase in allocation, which was drastically reduced since 2018.
Meanwhile, Uggah also raised the issue of funding for Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR), in which he said the unit has yet to receive any grants from the federal government to build more non-Islamic religious houses of worship.
Anwar said he will discuss the matter with Abang Johari and ensure that funds allocated for places of worship in the peninsular will be channelled to Sarawak as well.
Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib, Abang Johari, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian were among those present.
