NCR DISCUSSED AT LENGTH DURING MEETING

By : NANCY LAI

CHIEF Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the Native Customary Right (NCR) issue was discussed at length by the state Cabinet during its meeting yesterday.

According to Musa, he would soon invite Barisan Nasional (BN) component party leaders to discuss further and hear their views on the matter.

“And I’m also going to call and consult the expert on NCR and land issue,” he told reporters after chairing the state cabinet meeting at Wisma Innoprise here yesterday.

“We had a full briefing and of course discussion with the directors of Land and Survey, Forestry Department as well as the Land Office. The Land and Survey Department briefed the Cabinet on the situation of NCR,” Musa said.

He said this when asked if the NCR issue was discussed during the state Cabinet meeting as he had said in a statement in response to State Attorney General Datuk Roderic Fernandez’s statement with regards to the matter.

Roderic in a statement said his interpretation of the NCR provision in the Sabah Land Ordinance (SLO) was that no fresh NCR land could be created after 1930 after the SLO came into force.

“Only land ‘still’ occupied by natives prior to December 13, 1930 are recognized with the status,” Roderic said, adding that there was no provision in the SLO for natives to go into occupation of land after 1930 and claim NCR on it.

“A claimant must, for NCR today, show occupation of the land prior to 1931,” he said.

Musa also disclosed that the opening of the 13th state assembly sitting would be held on March 23 with a policy speech to be delivered by Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.

This would be followed by a three-day sitting where assemblymen would debate on the policy speech, he said, adding that the winding up would be held on the third day, March 28.

“During the sitting, an amendment to the Forestry Enactment will be tabled,” he said. (theborneopost)