SIBU, Nov 12 — Native Customary Rights (NCR) land ownership in Sarawak continues to be protected through land surveys conducted only upon the application and consent of stakeholders to prevent boundary disputes, encroachment and the loss of rights to ancestral land.

Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said every survey application must undergo scrutiny and verification of ownership evidence by the Sarawak Land and Survey Department to ensure the claims are legally valid.

He stressed that the state government would not conduct land surveys arbitrarily without first engaging with and obtaining the consent of landowners or claimants.

“We have stipulated that surveys must be carried out upon application. Before any survey work begins, we hold engagement sessions and discussions with stakeholders.