The implementation of a new initiative to carry out en-bloc perimeter surveys of native customary rights (NCR) land would focus on areas with potential for economic development, said Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Aflred Jabu.

He said the main objective was to allow for the commercial development of the land so that it can benefit the state and rural people in line with the objectives of the New Economic Model.

alfred "We wish to thank the federal government for allocating RM20 million to Sarawak and the main focus will be to develop NCR land that are ready for development," he said when met at Wisma Bapa Malaysia in Kuching today.

Jabu had earlier handed appointment letters to four political secretaries to the chief minister - Kijan Toynbee @ Ipang, Angeline Umih Tujok, Sih Hua Tong and Tengku anak Gruna - after they had taken their oath.

During his visit to Sarawak last week, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who announced the allocation had said that the initiative, costing RM20 million to implement, would be carried out before the end of this year and would continue during the 10th Malaysia Plan.

The move was to ensure ownership of NCR land among the natives of Sarawak and to help them increase their income and uplift their economic well-being, he said.

He said the Sarawak Land and Survey Department had deployed its surveyors to carry out the perimeter survey and to excise the NCR land from state land area prior to gazetting them as the Native Communal Reserve under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code.

Najib had said another step in the process was to get the NCR landowners to determine the boundary of their land within the gazetted area since it would enable the department to carry out a detailed survey on their land and facilitate the issuance of individual titles.

Jabu added that the state government has not set a specific time frame to develop all NCR land available for development but was confident that land owners would give their cooperation to carry out such initiatives.

However, land under dispute in the courts would not be involved in the perimeter survey, he said.

- Bernama