KAPIT: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan has reiterated the Sarawak government’s unwavering commitment to empower rural areas and boost economic activities.
He highlighted the ongoing and continuous development of essential infrastructure, including electricity, water and roads throughout the region.
“The government has approved various infrastructure projects, such as upgrading coastal roads, implementing the Second Trunk Road project, constructing bridges, telecommunication towers, and ensuring electricity and water supplies.
“Additionally, they have initiated resettlement schemes and Village Expansion Schemes to further support the progress of rural communities.”
At a recent event here to hand over compensation related to the Baleh-Mapai Overhead Transmission Line Project and the Land Ownership Letter under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code, Awang Tengah stressed the importance of land acquisition for the successful implementation of these development projects.
“The compensation for acquired land is based on appropriate assessment and valuation, ensuring fair treatment for landowners with ownership rights or those with Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.”
The Baleh-Mapai Overhead Transmission Line Project was highlighted as one of the initiatives contributing to Sarawak’s sustainable development agenda, aligned with the growing power generation capacity and demand from energy-intensive industries in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score).
“To expedite the survey of NCR land, the Sarawak government has allocated RM40mil and appointed 467 officers and staff from the Land and Survey Department. This effort aims to legally recognise and define NCR land according to the Sarawak Land Code,” Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, explained.
Earlier, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Native Law and Customs), Jefferson Jamit Unyat praised the government’s continuous efforts to survey NCR land, underscoring their commitment to recognising land ownership rights for the people.
During the event, 52 landowners were presented with Land Ownership Letters under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code, covering an impressive area of 137,376ha and comprising a total of 57 land lots.
