United Borneo Front, UBF : Allow Natives Democratic Right to Determine Land Use of NCR - 11 July 2011

Source : UNITED BORNEO FRONT HEADQUARTERS

“UBF: ALLOW NATIVES DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO DETERMINE LAND USE OF NCR”

11th July 2011

Telupid, Sabah—At a Borneo Tea Party and UBF Ka’amatan celebration hosted by Pinus Gondili in Kampung Liningkung, Telupid, on Sunday the Borneo Heritage Foundation United Borneo Front Committee (UBF) Chairman, Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, made a call to allow natives to be given the power and democratic rights as a community to decide how to develop native customary rights (NCR) lands.

“These lands should not be given to companies or government agencies for joint venture developments nor should the idea of fast tracking development on NCR lands be imposed on natives. The government could take on an advisory role and encourage the community to understand the terms of fast tracking but it should not be imposed against their will. I have received complaints that the decision rests with the Director of Land and Survey. This needs to be clarified as the Director should not be empowered to act arbitrarily when it should rightfully be a community’s decision,” Jeffrey said.


Jeffrey also added that the government must set clear guidelines and develop an effective mechanism to manage and decide on native entitlements and inheritances based on NCR and Adat. “There have been complaints that civil servants are exempt from NCR and this is something which must be clarified by the government as it makes no sense to exclude their descendants’ rights to inheritance. Every member of the community should be entitled to their own communal lands provided they are natives. This is a very serious and important issue for natives and one that should not be dismissed by any political leader in Sabah. We must resolve this issue with haste.”