Ulu Bengoh and NCR: an overview

You might be beginning to wonder what on earth we were actually in Sarawak for. Time for a quick* overview! (Note: I did try to find out the exact figures and locations, but there is limited information on the interiors on Google and my inherent geographical knowledge is unimpressive, so just take it as a general account.)

Ulu Bengoh

Bengoh is a hilly area next to Kuching. The people are all Bidayuh and mostly Christian. There are many villages scattered at the foothills that have experienced varying degrees of urbanisation, depending on their accessibility and distance from Kuching.

Up in the hills, the area which people call Ulu Bengoh (rural Bengoh), there are four villages: the one nearest to the bottom is Kampung Sait, followed by Kampung Bojong, Kampung Rejoi and the highest is Kampung Semban.

There are no roads going up to the four villages: it is a 45 minute drive from Kuching to the Bengoh Dam, and you trek from there to your village of destination. Sait is at least 1 hours' walk away (but of course timing depends on the individual - the group took 2 hours the first time), Bojong about twice that distance, Nyegol about 3 and a half hours, and Semban... well, we have a friend who took a whole day.

The Big Issue: Native Customary Rights (NCR) to land

A bit of history (sorry 'bout this, I'll make it as brief as possible): Prior to James Brooke’s arrival in Sarawak in 1841, there was a system of land tenure based on adat (native customary laws). That system remained virtually the same over the following century, as the Brookes did not interfere with the customary land rights of the Dayaks and Malays.

Native customary rights to land consisted of rights to cultivate the land, rights to jungle produce, hunting and fishing rights, and rights of inheritance and transfer. According to native ideas, the clearing and cultivation of virgin land confers permanent rights on the original clearer.

Unfortunately (for the natives), primary and secondary forests present lucrative economic opportunities: logging, eco-tourism (the rather destructive kind), palm oil plantations, and so on. There are many sad, conscience-tugging stories, but these hardly get any media coverage at all. Most urban folk are comfortable enough not to have to notice, especially in Peninsular Malaysia, where most people simply aren't aware or bothered about what is happening.

The small issue: the Bengoh dam

The perimeter of the dam project encompasses the three lower villages in Ulu Bengoh. The entire area within that perimeter will be flooded once State-provided alternative housing is complete.

This is it. The words blight, looming and invasion come to mind...

The villagers in Sait, Bojong and Rejoi were therefore offered a resettlement and compensation scheme for their NCR land. Almost 90% of the approximately 1500 people in Ulu Bengoh accepted this compensation plan, but many of them are beginning to realise that the deal isn't as fair as it seemed initially. Think about it...

What's in it for the State? Hectares and hectares of forestland, timber and all, to profit from. In return, they offer to build cheap housing for the villagers in Semadang (at the foothill), where a bunch of other Bidayuhs already stay.

What's in it for the people? Upon signing away their NCR land, they get resettled to Semadang, 3 acres of infertile land, and a sum of money ranging from RM3,000 to 30,000. Nevermind the labour of love, sweat and resources that their own houses in the existing villages are. Nevermind that they will no longer have a self-sustaining lifestyle without the forest next door, and that they will suddenly become dependent on money. Nevermind that RM 30,000 will not last long in the suburbans. Nevermind that one paddy field alone takes up 1 acre of land, so 3 acres of barren land is nowhere near sufficient for a family. Nevermind what the inhabitants of Semadang think of having lots of strangers suddenly planted in their backyard. Oh, and of course, let's not consider what a massive mess the resettlement schemes for the previous Batang Ai and Bakun dams were.

Anyhow, only two groups rejected the compensation plan: about 18 families from Kampung Rejoi, and 9 families from Kampung Bojong. Each group has relocated to an area nearby but outside the dam perimeter, forming new villages. They are bringing the matter to court to seek legal redress for their land, houses and crops.

Kampung Sait accepted the deal, but only half of them had planned to move to the government's resettlement area. The other half decided to build a new village outside the dam perimeter, and so Kampung Muk Ayung came into existence. Here they thought they would be left in peace, but now the government is trying to get the Muk Ayung people to move out as well for reasons unknown to (but suspected by) everyone... convinced of the insincerity of the one-sided bargain by now, they also want to sue the government.

And how were you guys involved in that whole affair?

A-ha. Next post! ;)

* Sorry - I did try.


EDIT: Correction - there are many villages up in Ulu Bengoh, not just four. However, only those four aforementioned villages will be affected by the Bengoh dam flooding. Sorry about that, folks!