It was an all familiar tale a Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) road-show heard on Thursday in Serian, 60km from Kuching. The natives are concerned about the status of their native customary rights (NCR) land.

"They are very concerned about encroachment, they want protection and they want the ownership status of NCR land established as quickly as possible," Suhakam commissioner Prof Dr Hamdan Adnan told malaysiakini today.

The turn-out was surprisingly large too - about 500 people, including native chiefs, most of whom, according to Hamdan, made a strong stand on the NCR, a common problem in Sarawak as increasingly large tracts of rural land are being given by the state authorities to plantation companies.

Hamdan told them to write in to Suhakam with the details of their complaints after which Suhakam would take up the matter with the relevant authorities.

The native chiefs who attended the road show included a temenggong and tua kampung, many of whom narrated their own experiences and problems over the NCR issue with increasing encroachment from outsiders.

Lawyers handling NCR problems have indicated that not less than 100 cases have been referred to the court throughout Sarawak. Most of these cases are in Kuching and Miri.

Two months ago, Bidayuh villagers in Raso 1 and Raso 11 between Bau and Lundu appealed to Suhakam to intervene in their land dispute with a timber concession company which had been taking timber from their native customary land.

Up level of awareness

After Suhakam's intervention with a series of dialogues with the relevant authorities, the company and the villagers, logging operations ceased to prevent further logging from the areas, but not before a lot of damage had already been caused.

Hundreds of engkabang (illipenut) trees sought for their hardwood known locally as yellow meranti, a merchantable species, had already been felled. With Suhakam's help, the company has agreed to pay compensation which is now being carried out.

Meanwhile, Hamdan said that Suhaham will hold a workshop in Miri on February 17 on human rights and enforcement.

He said during the latest visit to Kuching he had met the various departments, including police, immigration and national registration, to ask them to send representatives to attend the workshop.

Suhakam has been trying to increase the level of awareness among enforcement personnel of various departments which, according to Hamdan, is important in the discharge of their duties.

Hamdan and three other Suhakam commissions, including one from Sarawak, will be inspecting a water catchment area near an Iban longhouse in Bakong following complaints the source of drinking water had allegedly been contaminated with some chemicals used in the treatment of wood trees connected with a proposed agro-based tourism project in the area.