No discrimination in giving out titles

Issues relating to the rights of the natives in Sabah have always been given attention, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

He also gave an assurance that the government would not undermine the rights of natives to own land in the state.

He was allaying fears of the government sidelining claims for Native Customary Rights land and that it was being discriminative in the issuing of titles to indigenous people.

"The state is administered by natives, too, and to protect as well as to preserve the rights of the indigenous communities will always be our priority.

"Instead of manipulating the NCR issue, everyone should cooperate and help ensure the rights of the indigenous people are protected," he said.

Musa was replying to a question by Datuk Nilwan Kabang (BN-Kunak), who asked if the government still recognised the NCR claims by the indigenous communities.

In the last 15 years, the Land and Survey Department received 615 claims for NCR land involving 1,164 people throughout the state.

Of the total, 207 cases were given recognition, 70 cases were dropped while 338 were still being investigated, Musa said.

He also said of the 348,652 land titles issued by the department until last year, 55 per cent of 190,452 were native titles issued to indigenous owners.

In terms of size, the area issued with native titles make up 24 per cent or 487,680ha of the total 1.9 million hectares of land issued with titles.

Since 2000, a total of 41 cases related to NCR land claims were filed in court involving 1,243 people from across the state.

Of the total, 10 cases involving 1,021 claimants were dropped, four cases were ruled in favour of its 17 claimants and five cases involving 17 claimants ended with consent judgment.

There were also four cases withdrawn by the five claimants and 18 cases with its 183 claimants have yet to be decided by the courts.

Source: New Straits Times