Yong (front centre) with the landowners after they have received their individual titles.
KUCHING (Sept 23): The Land and Survey Department has finally issued individual land titles with a lease term of 60 years to all seven parcels of an industrial lot in Bintawa Industrial Estate situated beside the Bintawa Wet Market after a lapse of 30 years, said Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong.
In a statement yesterday, she said that since the 1990s, this group of landowners has been operating at the industrial estate under the temporary occupation licence (TOL), after they were asked to relocate from the original site at Petanak.
“They are mainly cottage industry traders and operators of salted fish businesses.
“This (yesterday) morning I accompanied few of them to Land and Survey Department to collect their respective original documents of title. They are thrilled and feel very grateful to DAP for fighting so hard in getting the authority to issue them with the titles,” she said.
According to Yong, these landowners had earlier on sought help from SUPP but to no avail and therefore approached DAP.
“Previously, before the issuance of the land titles, the operators were not able to either charge their land or seek any financing to expand their businesses.
“Their rights over the lands were also not protected and recognised under the Sarawak Land Code Cap. 1958 as they were only holding TOL,” she added.