Works Minister Nanta urges Sarawak to speed up NCR land surveys and titles to protect about 58,000 oil palm smallholders facing EU deforestation rules.
SIBU: Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has urged the Sarawak Government to expedite Native Customary Rights (NCR) land surveys and title issuance to safeguard about 58,000 independent oil palm smallholders at risk of losing access to international markets under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
He said delays in formalising NCR land ownership could prevent smallholders, particularly rural native communities, from meeting international market requirements despite legally cultivating their land.
“Our NCR landowners must not become victims of administrative delays. They should not be denied the opportunity to earn a decent livelihood from their own land simply because they have yet to receive formal land titles,” he said in a statement today.
Nanta, who is also Kapit Member of Parliament, was responding to concerns raised by the Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (DOPPA) over the potential impact of EUDR compliance requirements on smallholders without formal land documentation.
He urged the state government to accelerate land surveys, boundary demarcation and title issuance, while exploring legally recognised interim documentation to help affected smallholders demonstrate compliance.
“Any unnecessary delay in this process could translate into real economic losses, not only for the individual NCR landowners and their families, but also for Sarawak as a whole,” he said.
Nanta also sought an update on Sarawak’s efforts to secure a special EUDR exemption for NCR land, following an earlier commitment by state Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom to pursue the matter with federal authorities.
He stressed that efforts to obtain the exemption and expedite NCR land documentation must proceed simultaneously.
Nanta also called for technical assistance in land mapping, geolocation and traceability to help smallholders meet EUDR requirements.
On Oct 18, DOPPA president Dr Napolean R Ningkos warned that inadequate land documentation and high compliance costs could exclude thousands of smallholders from international markets.
DOPPA proposed closer cooperation among governments, industry players and consumer countries, including integrating Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification into EUDR compliance procedures to reduce costs and duplication.