Four days ago, I asked the agriculture minister regarding the status of the NCR lands upon which Getah Irad (Risda) are being planted in Betong. He has not responded via the press to date.

However, a statement purportedly prepared by Wilson Entabang, AD (IC/Rubber), Agriculture HQ, 14th Floor, Wisma Pelita, Petrajaya, was circulated on social media and posted by Tony Malang, a Jasa officer based in Betong, on his Facebook wall. The statement attempts to answer my question as it was entitled, ‘Sarawak PKR questions to Minister MOMA’.

The statement by Agriculture HQ attempts to portray the benefits and advantages of the scheme, which misses my point. I never objected to the scheme in my earlier statement. Rather, I was asking the minister to clarify the NCR status of the lands on which this scheme has been implemented.

The answer to my question was hinted at in the final and last line of the statement by the Agriculture HQ, which said, “The Department of Agriculture Sarawak are very thankful to L & S Department Sarawak especially in relating to the perimeter survey initiative”. This implies that the lands on which Getah Iirad have been planted were surveyed under the Perimeter Survey exercise conducted by Land & Survey Department.

This final line from the Agriculture HQ statement raises even more questions; was only the Temuda lands surveyed, leaving out the Pemakai Menua and Pulau Galau lands; under which Section of the Land Code have these lands been gazetted - Section 6 which is ‘Native Communal Reserve’ meaning Tanah Gunasama (land shared by the government with the natives), or Section 18 which is ‘grants to natives’; if only the Temuda lands were surveyed and gazetted, then the hot question is whether Pemakai Menua and Pulau Galau lands have reverted to becoming state land?

State land can be alienated and sold by the government to a third party based on government premiums and schedules (rates per hectare). The third party can further sell alienated lands to timber companies and oil-palm conglomerates for a huge profit.

Pemakai Menua and Pulau Galau in Betong that have been left out of the perimeter survey would automatically become state land, and become profitable real estate. Unfortunately, these prime real estates might have been taken away from the rightful owners in Betong without their knowledge.

Even the Temuda lands surveyed and gazetted under Section 6 can be resumed as state land and alienated for sale, as provided in Section 6.3 and 6.4 of the Land Code. The agriculture minister cannot remain silent on such an important issue pertaining to native land as he is ultimately responsible for introducing the Getah Irad scheme in Betong which has surreptitiously led to native lands being surveyed under the Perimeter Survey exercise as stated in the Agriculture HQ statement.

VERNON AJI KEDIT is PKR state information chief and Betong PKR divisional head.