A group of Iban residents protesting the encroachment into their claimed native customary rights (NCR) land have ended a four-day occupation outside the Land and Survey Department office in Kuching after its director promised to look into their plight.

This follows a two-and-a-half hour meeting between the natives from Balai Ringin, Serian and the Land and Survey Department director Sajeli Kipli yesterday morning.

NONE “The natives wanted a stop-work order and the director indicated that he will try to talk to the company (which is clearing their lands),” said Sri Aman DAP chief Leon Jimat Donald when contacted.

“The director has also agreed to look into individual NCR claims made by 211 natives living there as well as their claims for compensation,” he added.

Despite the NCR land claim by the natives, the lands were granted to a private company which began bulldozing the area for plantation activities.

The natives began their occupation on April 14, the first of its kind in Sarawak, after repeated appeals to the Land Department since October last year fell on deaf ears.

NONE In a statement to Borneo Post yesterday, the Land Department had said the lands fell within the Balai Ringin Protected Forest and were not NCR lands.

“The grant of ownership of the land in the area does not contravene the law and there is no issue on the termination of NCR as portrayed by the villagers,” Sajeli was quoted as saying.

This prompted protesters to demand an impromptu meeting with the director, in which Sajeli promised “to look into” their claims.

Following this “guarantee”, the natives decided to vacate their encampment outside Menara Pelita which houses the Land Department’s office at around 2pm yesterday.

‘Police were kind to protesters’

Leon said that the protesters, many of whom were sole breadwinner, had to return to work but hailed the protest as a success.

 

NONE “The public were very supportive in cash, water, and food. The natives were cooking on site and PAS in particular donated a lot of rice to them,” he said.

He added that while the police had at least two patrol cars present at all times during the protest, they did not interfere.

“They (police) have been very kind to the protesters, they did not try to break it up as had happened elsewhere,” he said.

The natives, he said, have given the Land Department until the end of June, failing which they will resume their protest outside its office.