KUCHING, May 15 2026: Serembu state legislative member (SLM) Miro Simuh moaned at the slow progress in surveying native customary rights (NCR) land in Bidayuh areas, such as Bau, Padawan and Serian.
“Although the government has implemented various initiatives and policies related to NCR land surveying, the process is still seen as too slow, not comprehensive and has not reached the level expected by the people,” he said during the debate on the Royal Address in the state legislative assembly (SLA) today.
“Often this issue becomes a great burden on us elected representatives who seem to not act and do what is necessary to bring this issue to a higher administrative level,” he explained.
“In fact, many villagers are still waiting for years for the surveying process to be completed even though applications have been submitted for a long time.
“Some areas have been identified, some have been mapped in advance, but the surveying process takes too long, causing anxiety among the owners of these NCR lands,” he said.
“What is the question of the people today is why the measurement process by the Land and Survey Department is seen to be much slower when compared to the approach implemented by the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) in several measurement initiatives and the installation of boundary pegs that have been implemented in many Bidayuh areas and villages.
“The next process is for the Land and Survey Department to enter, measure and map based on the DBNA documentation that has been implemented previously and acknowledge that the boundaries between landowners are valid,” he said.
Miro said the delay has major implications for the people, adding that without grants or official recognition, residents find it difficult to obtain agricultural loans, develop land commercially and face uncertainty about their own ownership rights.
“This is very important because NCR land is not just an economic asset and for most of us, land is a hereditary heritage, community identity and a symbol of the continuity of culture and customs.
“The people are not asking for something new, they just want the rights inherited from generation to generation to be given due recognition quickly, fairly and transparently,” he said.
Miro also expressed concern at the delay in the technical approval process and coordination of regional development projects involving various departments and agencies.
He pointed out that although the state government has repeatedly stressed that all development projects should be expedited in their implementation, at the implementation level there are still various procedural delays that ultimately affect the effectiveness of the projects and the confidence of the people.
“We can see that many projects under regional development agencies such as Greater Kuching Coordination Development Authority (GKCDA), Highland Development Authority (HAD), Urban Rejang Development Authority (URDA) and others are facing delays not due to lack of allocation, but due to the approval process being too slow, especially involving siting matters, technical reviews by technical agencies, confirmation of land status and land acquisition, utilities, environmental approvals and coordination between departments.
“Among the agencies that are often associated with these delays are the Land and Survey Department and several other technical agencies that are directly involved in the initial project approval process.
“We must admit that every development project has procedures and standards that must be adhered to.
“However, in today's situation, the people want to see a faster, more responsive and solution-oriented work culture.
“What is the point of announcing a project with such grandeur, if in the end the project is delayed for years just because the approval process from table to table takes too long.
“This not only affects the people, but also gives the government a bad image because for the people, the completion of the project reflects an efficient government,” Miro said.
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