District of Tongod – NCR claims against Corak Nakhoda Sdn Bhd CH A PT E R 2 SUHAKAM Sabah Office received complaints from the natives in four villages, that is, Kg. Kiliwatong, Kg. Kiandungo, Kg. Makagatan, and Kg. Sogo-Sogo. The villagers alleged that in 1990, the Sabah State Legislative Assembly approved the implementation of the Tongod Regional Planning Study (TRPS). However, this study - which made some welcome promises to the locals to promote development based on their way of life - was never implemented. The communities were left waiting for a development programme that never came to fruition. This situation prevailed right up to 1997 when the new administration abruptly announced that the TRPS had been dropped. The area of land involved was alienated to other parties and eventually sold to Corak Nakhoda Sdn. Bhd. As a result, the villagers lost access to forests that they used for hunting, fishing, and collecting forest products such as rattan and dammar. Community members also alleged that the company cleared areas which were planted with durian trees and other fruit trees outside the area leased to it and that it had cleared the catchment area, the people’s main source of drinking water. Kampung Tekulong, which features on a map during the British period, indicating NCR land, was also cleared and planted with the palm oil trees. This has impacted the peoples’ livelihoods significantly. As soon as community members learned that the area, which they had applied to be recognised and alienated as NCR land many years ago, was handed over as a country lease to Corak Nakhoda, they appealed against it. According to the villagers, they hope the land could be returned to them for farming and other livelihood activities. Indigenous peoples of Sarawak During the year under review, SUHAKAM Sarawak Office continued to work for the realisation of indigenous land rights. The protection of land rights is crucial for the indigenous community whose economic, social and cultural development is based on their relationship to the land.   SUHAKAM Sarawak Office has been organising outreach programmes and dialogues with the headmen (Ketua Kaum or Tuai Rumah, Tua Kampung) of each native village or longhouse community, and Community Chiefs (known locally as Temenggong, Pemanca and Penghulu). In 2018, a total of five outreach programmes were held in various parts of Sarawak. Among the issues brought to the attention of SUHAKAM was their right to native customary land. In Sarawak, state land is subject to a cut-off date i.e. the indigenous SUHAKAM ANNUAL REPORT 2018 95