Sarawak indigenous folk have right to set native land boundaries, says group

THE indigenous folk of Sarawak have the legal authority under native customary laws to determine the boundaries of their land, but not many of them are aware of it, the Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) said.

Scrips has embarked on a statewide effort to raise public awareness of these laws, known as “adat”.

Scrips secretary-general Michael Jok told The Vibes that adat laws on land boundaries are applied based on communal evidence such as ancestral graves, crops and trees, natural borders such as rivers and streams, and physical evidence of dwellings.

"We natives have such adat that are recognised by law. We must exercise these laws and determine our land boundaries. Communities must cooperate with their neighbours to use these laws to prevent land disputes. Scrips is conducting a public awareness campaign and will send a team of experts to hold a talk at Lutong Mall in Miri city later this week," he said.

Jok emphasised the importance of natives exercising their rights to self-determination of their ancestral land boundaries.

"If they do not exercise their rights, impose their influence, and cooperate with each other in determining their land boundaries, they will end up being victimised by those seeking to grab their native land for development," he said.

He said there are many disputes between natives and powerful agencies, land developers, logging companies, and plantation companies in Sarawak.

On April 24, a native landowner and his family living in the sub-rural Sebauh district in northern Sarawak fought off an alleged gang of illegal loggers and their bulldozers after they had ravaged trees on his ancestral land measuring about 20ha.

Robert Muyang, the landowner, lodged a police report at the Sebauh police station against the illegal loggers, who are working for a private company. In his report, he said the illegal loggers had invaded his family's land, which are protected as native customary rights land, in Ulu Sebauh,. They had cut down a large number of trees.

"My family has owned the land since the days of our ancestors. We use the land for animal rearing, crop planting, and small-scale oil palm planting. Recently, workers of the illegal logging operator sent in their bulldozers and cut down our huge trees. We urge the police to investigate and stop further trespassing into our land," he told The Vibes after lodging the report.

Muyang said the trees felled by the illegal loggers were worth millions of ringgit. "We have only our land and forests, which we use for daily survival. These big companies see money in land they do not even own," he said.

Muyang urged the Gabungan Parti Sarawak leaders to protect the natives. He noted that so far, the illegal loggers have not used physical violence against him or his family.

Ulu Sebauh is located about 250km south of Miri city. This case is one of many land disputes in Sarawak. – July 26, 2024.