Face us in debate on usufructuary rights over NCR land, NGO dares Uggah

KUCHING, September 22, 2018 - Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah has accused the Dayak National Conference (DNC) this week  of being ignorance on the Land Code Amendment 2018.

Patrick Sibat

DNC organising chairman Patrick Sibat said if Uggah is so sure of the security of the land tenure in them amendment, the organisers are challenging him to an open debate live on RTM so to the people judge.

"By accusing the organizers of the conference as ignorant, he is underestimating the intelligence of 1,300 Dayaks who were present," he said.

Sibat said Uggah repeatedly remarked that usufructuary right is the right to use and the right to own in perpetually.

He said the Free Dictionary defines “Usufructuary right” as “a Civil Law term referring to the right of one individual to use and enjoy the property of another, provided its substance is neither impaired nor altered”.

"Is Uggah saying that the dictionary is wrong or lying?" Sibat asked.

He noted that the Ketua Masyarakat Conference in January 2018 organized by Uggah himself resolved that the  pemakai menoa is “full proprietory right”.

"Why doesn’t he follow the resolution?" he asked.

"Does Uggah know that the term is a colonial term to refer derogatively to the natives as squatters on government land? "

"Can the people be hoodwinked into believing that 500 or 1000 hectares is the area of their pemakai menoa?

"The customs of pemakai menoa has never been restricted by hectarage. The new law giving the rights to only own 500 to 1000 hectares is no longer the custom of pemakai mneoa but a statutory right.

"The new law makes no provision for pulau galau.  By failing to provide for pulau galau, the custom comes to an end. 

"NCR lands exist by way of customs. NCR rights are rights acquired under the customs of the natives, not given under statute law.

"As long as the native territorial domain  is not approved by the government, there is no force of law. Can the government guarantee that it will provide all the longhouses in Sarawak be issued with title as they promised? 

"If the government based on past experience could not even issue titles to native lands surveyed in the 1950s in Simanggang, 1970s in Bintulu, how can we trust them to even issue bigger titles now that are already covered by provisional leases / leases to plantation companies?

"The Dayak community is asking for one thing but the government is giving another thing.

"The GPS government which transformed itself from BN is truly testing the wrath of the Dayak community.

"As long as our pemakai menoa and pulau galau are not recognized based on the Adat Asal, expect ‘Zero Vote” from the Dayak community. All Dayaks voters in Sarawak must withdraw their support from the GPS government.

"If Uggah truly believes that his amendment is the best security for our pemakai menoa, we are more than happy to debate with him live on RTM to be beamed nationwide. Just pick up the time and place for the debate, we will be there," Sibat said.