SARAWAK natives have raised concerns after discovering outsiders carrying out surveys on indigenous land in remote areas.

The Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) said longhouse residents are worried this could be a sign of a land grab.

“They are not natives and they are not locals. They are outsiders claiming to be sent by some government agencies,” Scrips secretary-general Michael Jok told The Vibes

“I am worried. The fear is that these surveys will result in more native land being taken over without the locals’ consent.

“These outsiders are entering rural areas without informing the locals.”

Jok had previously stated that the indigenous people of Sarawak, which make up at least 60% of the state’s three million population, could stop unjust land-grabs if they were united.

Scrips said the natives of Sarawak could press the state government to amend the State Land Code.

“The problem of unjust land-grabs suffered by native landowners in Sarawak has persisted for more than 60 years.

“The current laws under the State Land Code allow native land to be acquired en-masse by the state government or its agencies.

“The State Land Code does not offer much protection for natives whose land is trespassed on by private developers either.

“For too long, natives have fought against land-grabs by going to court.”

Scrips recently criticised the Sarawak government for attempting to take control of the native customary forests belonging to the minority Tering-Berawan communities by converting their forests into a national park without consent.

Scrips, a land and human rights organisation, called the state government’s attempt to take Tering-Berawan land near the Mulu National Park unethical and unjust.

On August 7, the Tering-Berawan objected to the state government’s plan to create the new Tutoh Apoh National Park, fearing the move would lead to the takeover of their ancestral land by state authorities.

Tering-Berawan leader Denis Along met with officers from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation in Miri to submit an official protest letter.

Along said the land where the five-star Mulu Marriott Resort now sits was once the ancestral land of the Tering-Berawan.

Mulu, located about 200km inland from Miri city, is home to the Sarawak Chamber, the world’s largest cave. – September 13, 2024.