An Iban member of Parliament has introduced a concept of development that he believes will bring meaningful and direct economic benefits for the longhouse community in his constituency through the development of native customary rights (NCR) land.

Lubok Antu's long-time MP Jewah Gerang (photo) told a Rumah Nyemungan gathering, attended by more than 1,000 people from 40 longhouses over the weekend, that each family keen to develop their NCR land would be given a subsidy of 300 young oil palm plants in the first year and more in the second and third years.

According to him, with the subsidy each family will be able to plant up to six acres, and that it is anticipated that when the fruits are ready for harvesting after three or more years of planting they will be able to generate a monthly yield equivalent to RM3,000.

He described this monthly income 'as better than a teacher's salary.'

Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) pro tem information chief Joseph Tawie, who was among those who attended the gathering, told malaysiakini there are more than 300 longhouses within the Lubok Antu parliamentary constituency, which incorporate the state seats of Batang Ai and Engkilili.

The parliamentarian said the subsidies had been approved by the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries that would be channelled directly to help the longhouse community develop their NCR land on their own oil palm small-holdings.

The young oil plants will be supplied by local nurseries.

The ministry has already started giving out the subsidies which, according to Jawah, are already benefitting many Iban families within the Lubok Antu area.

Three-in-one concept

According to Jewah, this is a three-in-one concept that he initiated with the support of the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Muhyiddin Yassin, that will allow the natives to clear the land for padi cultivation and, at the same time, plant oil palm on their NCR land and harvest the fruits upon maturity.

"This concept is to help improve the economic livelihood of the longhouse community, to be more financially independent and ensure that they do not lose their rights to NCR land," he was quoted as telling the longhouse people.

Jewah, who himself has successfully planted 500 acres of his own land with oil palm, said the concept of subsidy for oil palm plantation of individual plots of NCR land will be gradually extended to the other longhouse areas within his constituency area upon request of the people.

Tawie described Jewah, one of the five 'partyless' elected representatives from the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), "as an MP who is truly dedicated to serving and helping his constituents, and for this reason is gaining a lot of confidence and trust from the longhouse community".

Among those who attended the gathering and also spoke were the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SNDU) president Nicholas Bawin, his predecessor Daniel Tajem, who is also former PBDS president, and many tuai rumah (village chiefs) from the various longhouses.

"They did not talk about politics. Nicholas and Daniel spoke of SDNU culture, about Iban adats and customs relating to land and farming, and about development," said Tawie.

Nicholas, who is also pro tem president of MDC which has applied to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) for registration, is said to be a likely candidate in Batang Ai, where the incumbent is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice-president Dublin Unting, a state assistant minister.

The assistant minister also held a smaller gathering at the community hall in Lubok Antu at the same time as the longhouse gathering.

Jewah will hold another longhouse gathering on May 29 ahead of the Gawai Dayak celebrations.

Masing's proposal

Meanwhile, the Borneo Post today quoted state Land Development Minister Dr James Masing as saying he had proposed to the state cabinet the setting up of a statutory body to acquire from natives who wanted to sell their NCR land already planted with oil palm to prevent them from ending up landless.

He said the importance of such a statutory body is underscored by the government's decision to open up at least 400,000 hectares of land under oil palm within the next 10 years.

The minister did not mention the current status of his proposal with the cabinet, but government land officials say it is a good one because it is likely to involve a lot of money in the end.

However, they also felt that it may not be in line with the current thinking of state leadership, hence they do not give it much of a chance.

Instead, the cabinet may ask the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority whose chairperson is Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu to look at the matter, and seek funding from federal sources, if there is merit in the proposal.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.