Abang Jo: Over 1.25mln ha NCR land in Sarawak surveyed as of Aug 31
by Churchill Edward · Borneo Post OnlineKUCHING (Sept 24): More than 1.25 million ha of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land have been surveyed throughout Sarawak as of Aug 31 this year, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said the Sarawak government remains committed to accelerating the surveying of NCR land and issuance of titles, but stressed that the achievement should not be viewed merely as a statistic.
“Behind every lot and boundary are families, history, sources of livelihood, and the future of the next generation,” he said when closing the Sarawak Land and Survey Innovation and Integrity Day (HIITS) 2026 here on Wednesday night.
The Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development said the next phase should focus on achieving an end-to-end resolution, from identifying areas, surveying, and verifying boundaries to documentation, registration, and issuance of titles.
While technology could accelerate the process, he said engagement with landowners, communities, and other stakeholders remained essential.
“Clarity of processes and good communication will reduce disputes, increase confidence, and ensure that the rights of the people continue to be protected,” he said.
Abang Johari pointed out NCR land is among six key frontiers that need to be further strengthened by the Land and Survey Department.
The other areas are land-use planning, modernising surveying and mapping systems, strengthening valuation functions, improving governance and regulation of mineral resources, as well as making land data a strategic infrastructure supporting government decision-making and the digital economy.
He said Sarawak’s rapid development, marked by expanding cities, new industrial corridors, and increasingly large-scale energy and infrastructure projects, meant land-use planning could no longer be reactive.
“We need to look ahead and ensure that the areas we develop today remain suitable, safe, connected, and sustainable for the next 20 or 30 years,” he said.
He pointed out that rising demand for housing and public facilities coupled with climate change, made forward-looking land-use planning increasingly important.
Flooding, erosion, rising water levels, and extreme weather, he said, must be factored into development decisions.
Abang Johari said topographical, hydrological, land-use, infrastructure-network, and geospatial information should be integrated to make planning more evidence-based.
“Good development is not simply about securing approval quickly; it must be in the right location, use land optimally, and avoid creating greater social or environmental costs in the future,” he said.
On infrastructure, he said the Sarawak government is investing heavily in road and bridge projects to provide connectivity to newly-developing areas.
“We know that the investments are large and the costs are high. We have implemented major bridge projects, including the Miri Bridge and the Sibu Bridge. These are all major investments,” he said.
Abang Johari said Sarawak also needs to build up its own expertise in flood mitigation, particularly as development and climate change presented increasingly complex challenges.
He said the state is looking at solutions for flooding in Sibu and Bintulu, which he attributed to the increasing shallowness of Batang Kemena.
“We have to find a solution today. If we find a solution, we will implement it. That means we can solve, or at least mitigate, the flood problem in Bintulu,” he said.
Abang Johari said technology is increasingly being deployed to improve how development is planned and implemented.
“In the past, we used to design and construct buildings using conventional plans. Now, we use Building Information Modelling, or BIM, and three-dimensional technology.
“This means we can design based on technology and have a better understanding of the development before construction begins,” he said.
However, he said development planning must also take into account Sarawak’s extensive peatlands.
“It is not easy to develop on peatland, but I am sure there are solutions,” he said.
Abang Johari said while geotextiles had been used in highway construction, new approaches such as elevated roads are also being explored to potentially reduce long-term maintenance costs while minimising its impact on peat soil.
“If an elevated road is built instead of placing large quantities of fill on peat soil, we can retain the peat soil as well as the existing environment.
“That can also have implications for carbon management and carbon trading because we are maintaining carbon storage,” he said.
Abang Johari also described minerals as a “new source and a new responsibility” for Sarawak, saying the state is strengthening the mineral function of the Land and Survey Department.
He said Sarawak had sent a delegation to Canada to study mineral technology, including approaches to managing mineral extraction and rehabilitation.
“For us, the continental shelf is underwater because it is an extension of the land. It extends towards the sea and is submerged by water.
“Therefore, we also have to survey it. There is land in the ocean, and there are mineral resources there,” he said.
While surveying and assessing marine resources was challenging because of the underwater environment, he said technological advances had made it possible to detect and better understand what lay beneath the water.
“That is why I believe the function of Land and Survey is now extending into the marine environment,” he said.
“We need to know precisely what resources exist, their location, their value and the risks involved so that they can be developed responsibly.”