What about those detached homes within the longhouse area

Dept sets the record straight on titles for longhouses

by Samuel Aubrey
April 11, 2010, Sunday
Source: The Borneo Post

KUCHING:
The state’s Land and Survey Department yesterday clarified that the Strata Title Ordinance does not apply to longhouses when it comes to issuance of title.

It said the Sarawak Land Code title would be more appropriate for longhouses because strata title was not relevant for individual ‘bilik’ (door) of the longhouse.

“For buildings such as single-storey or double-storey terrace, titles to these buildings are issued under the Sarawak Land Code.

“As longhouses share much of the characteristics of a terrace unit, therefore, Strata Title Ordinance will not apply to longhouses when it comes to issuance of title. Should the policy of the Government decide that individual ‘bilik’ within the longhouses be issued with title, then, the Sarawak Land Code title would be more appropriate,” said the Department in an emailed statement.

The statement was issued following recent media reports on suggestions concerning the mechanism for giving titles to longhouses in the state.

On ‘strata title’, the Department said this was issued under the Strata Title Ordinance.

‘Strata title’ is a subsidiary title issued on parcels within a building. The Strata Title Ordinance makes it mandatory for owners of building of five-storey and above to apply for ‘strata title’,” it said.

Last Thursday, Infrastructure Development and Communication Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin said he was all for the proposed ‘terraced house-style’ titles in the issuance of land titles to longhouses.

“I am relieved that the terrace house-style title was proposed, instead of the strata title. If it were the strata title, it would create a lot of confusion and dissatisfaction among the longhouse folk. Many would not accept it,” he had said when closing the two-day New Longhouse Concept seminar in Kuching.

A day earlier, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dato Sri Douglas Uggah Embas suggested that land titles for longhouses should follow the mechanism of giving titles to terraced houses in the city.

He had said that the procedures involved in giving titles to terraced houses in the city were simple and did not involve too much hassle.

Assistant Minister of Housing and Urban Development Abdul Wahab Aziz also believed terraced house titles were more viable than strata titles.

The Dayaks also own homes that are not attached to the longhouse due to shortage of land for extension from the main longhouse. How do the Land & Survey handle this kind of house? I hope it is include in the new concept.

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