More than 1.25 million hectares of Native Customary Rights land had been surveyed across Sarawak as of 31 August 2026, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said on 23 September.
For families waiting on boundaries and titles, that number is not abstract. NCR land is where a household's history, farming income and inheritance plans often meet the state land system. A surveyed perimeter is only one step, but it is the step that lets the next work begin: verification, documentation, registration and title issuance.
Abang Johari made the remarks at the closing of the Sarawak Land and Survey Innovation and Integrity Day 2026 in Kuching, according to Borneo Post and DayakDaily. He said the state government remained committed to speeding up both survey work and the issuance of titles.
He also told the Land and Survey Department to strengthen six areas as Sarawak moves through the 13th Malaysia Plan period from 2026 to 2030. The areas include orderly NCR documentation, future-ready land-use planning, modern surveying and mapping, valuation, mineral governance and land data as strategic infrastructure for government decisions.
The housing angle is in the planning brief he gave the department. Borneo Post reported him as saying that urban growth, new industrial corridors, energy and infrastructure projects, housing needs and climate risks mean land-use planning can no longer be reactive.
That is a practical warning for owners, village committees and developers alike. As roads, bridges and new growth corridors push deeper into Sarawak, the quality of land records will shape compensation, planning approvals, dispute resolution and whether communities can see clearly where development starts and where customary rights remain protected.
Sources: Borneo Post, DayakDaily, Sarawak Tribune.
