There should be no more deaths resulting from Native Customary Right (NCR) land disputes.

Ba’ Kelalan state assemblyperson Baru Bian said today the state government must respect court rulings that the Iban’s ‘pemakai menoa’ (territorial domain) and ‘pulau galau’ (forest reserve) are part of the NCR.

Debating on Chief Minister Adenan Satem’s 2017 Sarawak budget speech at the state Legislative Assembly sitting in Kuching today, he said the Sarawak Land Code should reflect this.

Baru, who is also state PKR chairperson, said there had been two deaths so far including that of NCR activist Bill Kayong in Miri on June 21, this year.

He also urged the government to review its policies and practice of issuing timber licences and provisional leases over NCR land.

On another issue, Baru reiterated his urging for a Land Rights Commission or a Land Tribunal to be set up as suggested by Chief Justice of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum in January this year.

“Having been given a strong mandate by the people, I hope the Chief Minister (Adenan) and his cabinet will see it fit to give the native landowners this avenue for registering their claims and swift resolution of the disputes.

“I also welcome the recent urging by Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah that the government should suspend the licences of plantation companies that employ gangsters in NCR disputes,” he said.

- Bernama