
Mengga Mikui said the NCR concept calls for the government to recognise not just the cultivated farmlands, but also the communal forest reserves and territorial domain as NCR lands. — Bernama pic
KUCHING, Oct 27 — A Dayak non-governmental organisation (NGO) wants the Sarawak government to recognise the concept of Native Customary Rights (NCR) over lands as a solution to settle disputes between the indigenous communities and plantation companies.
“We believe that the concept is the key to settling all the NCR land problems, some of which have turned violent,” Dayak National Congress (DNC) president Mengga Mikui said today.
He said the concept calls for the government to recognise not just the cultivated farmlands, but also the communal forest reserves (pulau galau) and territorial domain (pemakai menoa) as NCR lands.
“While the government recognises farmlands as NCR lands, but it does not recognise communal forest reserves and territorial domains as customary lands, contrary to the decisions of the Federal Court in deciding NCR land disputes,” Mengga said. Read more