Sarawak natives lose bid to reclaim 474ha of ancestral land
PUTRAJAYA: Twenty-four Sarawak natives have failed in their bid to reclaim 474 hectares of ancestral land in Saratok after the Court of Appeal ruled that they had failed to prove their native customary rights (NCR) over the disputed land.
In a recent ruling, the Court of Appeal in Malaysia has dismissed a bid by 24 Sarawak natives to reclaim 474 hectares of ancestral land in Saratok. The court found that the plaintiffs had failed to provide sufficient physical evidence to corroborate their oral accounts of ancestral activities, such as clearing forests, building longhouses, and cultivating rice.
The plaintiffs were required to present more than just the testimonies of witnesses recounting their version of events. The court also upheld the High Court's decision that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the dispute, as the case involved a non-native company and challenges to state-issued land titles. Despite the plaintiffs' sympathy, the court agreed with the trial judge's findings on the insufficiency of the oral evidence provided.
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