PBDS sets out to help become ‘voice’ of NCR landowners

Dr Bayang TeronSIBU (April 30): Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has offered itself as the main channel for Native Customary Rights (NCR) landowners in Sarawak, in an effort to resolve the ongoing polemic surrounding the recognition and surveying of such assets.PBDS vice-president Dr Bayang Teron stressed that PBDS was committed to ‘being the voice of the Dayak people’ in fighting for their NCR land rights, which had been increasingly constrained by the existing policies and legal frameworks.“PBDS calls upon all NCR landowners to come to our office with complete information and documentation regarding their lands.

“We will collect this data as a strong foundation to advocate for their rights through official negotiations with the Sarawak government,” he said in a statement yesterday.The call was made following a statement by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who previously stated that NCR land currently involved in court disputes would not be surveyed by the government, while those without any disputes could undergo surveying.Commenting further, Bayang said the statement highlighted the need for a new, more inclusive and transparent mechanism to address NCR land issues so that the people would not be continuously marginalised and denied of their rights due to technicalities or lack of official documentation.



“PBDS will not remain silent.“We will go to the grassroots to hold dialogues with the landowners, collect names and bring all this information to the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-led state government under the leadership of Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, towards seeking the best solution.”Bayang said under the leadership of party president Major (Rtd) Moses Ripai, PBDS was taking a strategic and holistic approach in addressing people’s issues, particularly concerning customary land ownership, which had been the lifeblood of the Dayak community for generations.

He also called upon Dayak representatives within the GPS government to be ‘braver and more responsible’ in championing this issue openly.“This (matter) not only involves legal rights, but also the identity, heritage and dignity of the Dayak people.“This is not merely an issue of land ownership; it is an issue of the survival of the Dayak ethnic group.

“The relationship between the Dayak community and other ethnic groups in Sarawak largely depends on justice in matters of customary land ownership.”Bayang also stressed that solving the NCR land issue would require genuine political commitment, administrative transparency, and a willingness to listen to the voices from the grassroots.“PBDS will continue to play its role as a catalyst for the dialogue between the people and the government in the pursuit of social justice and the long-term well-being of the people of Sarawak.

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