KUCHING: The determination of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land ownership must be resolved first to enable land willed or donated as wakaf or endowments to religious bodies to be legally registered under Section 171A of the Sarawak Land Code.

Deputy Minister for Urban Development and Natural Resources Datuk Len Talif Salleh said that the Land Code (Amendment) 2025 introduced new provisions to facilitate the registration of wakaf or land endowments to religious bodies in Sarawak.

“The determination of NCR title under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code must be conducted first before registration under the new provision of Section 171A of the Sarawak Land Code can be carried out,” he said.

He said this when responding to a question from Katibas Assemblyman Lidam Assan during the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Sitting here on Friday.

According to him, the Land and Survey Department Sarawak is working closely with the Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) to establish comprehensive procedures to facilitate the registration of land endowments involving various religious bodies.

He explained that the determination of NCR land ownership under Section 18 is essential to ensure that title documents are registered prior to executing the endowment registration process.

He added that the implementation of Section 171A provides a clearer and more structured legal mechanism to facilitate land registration for religious bodies, thereby mitigating the risk of ownership disputes in the future. — UKASnews

Prepared by: Nur Marisa
Photos: Ibanez Jeffery Guang
Translator: Ryan Lim