DCCI against curbing oil palm plantation expansion on NCR land
KUCHING: The Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( DCCI) fully supports Sarawak government’s objection to any restriction on the expansion of oil palm plantations on native customary rights ( NCR) lands by native smallholders.
This was resolved by DCCI at its last supreme council meeting held recently, during which they discussed the statement made by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas regarding the state government’s stand.
The meeting was attended by DCCI advisors Tan Sri Leo Moggie and Tan Sri Leonard Linggi, president Datuk Joseph Salang, deputy president Kilat Beriak, secretary- general Libat Langub and treasurer- general Alan Keripin.
“DCCI also agrees with the Deputy Chief Minister that sustainable land development on NCR lands by NCR landowners who are smallholders will help eradicate poverty among the rural
DCCI also agrees with the Deputy Chief Minister that sustainable land development on NCR lands by NCR landowners who are smallholders will help eradicate poverty among the rural populace. Libat Langub, DCCI secretary-general
populace,” said DCCI in a statement issued Libat Langub yesterday.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, recently said Sarawak government will object to any restriction on the expansion of oil palm plantations on native customary land ( NCL).
He explained this was because land or plantation development on NCL is part of the Sarawak government’s programme to eradicate poverty in the rural areas as well as to improve the rural folks’ economic status.
However, Uggah agreed to the federal government’s effort to keep 50 per cent of the land in Malaysia as forests, saying this has been the policy of the Sarawak government since 1992.
Uggah, who is Bukit Saban assemblyman, also agreed with halting the expansion of land and plantation development on state land, adding the Sarawak government had announced this move previously.
“We have two types of land. One is state land, the other is the native customary land ( NCL). We object to any restriction on land and plantation development on NCL as that would hamper the state’s target of achieving high income economy status by 2030,” he told The Borneo Post recently.
Uggah was responding to the recent comment by Minister of Primary Industries Teresa Kok that the federal government will not allow any more expansion of oil palm plantations in the country and that the government is also committed to maintaining 50 per cent of the land as forests.