Increase manpower for Pantas: Tangau

Published on: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Published on: Thu, Jun 12, 2025 Text Size: Some villagers looking at the land area in Tuaran which have been gazetted under Pantas. KIULU: Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau urged the State Government to increase manpower for the Native Land Services Management Programme of Sabah (Pantas) under the Department of Lands and Surveys (JTU). He said he was informed that the number of personnel in the Pantas Survey Unit has decreased from 60 people — originally organised into 12 teams of five members each — to only 40 people in eight teams of five members each.
Advertisement 'The documentation team, which once had eight personnel, has only three now,' he said while officiating a Pantas dialogue programme at Kg Lokos Hall, here. He voiced concern that the shortage of manpower would affect the use of Federal Government funding amounting to RM100 million (RM20 million annually) allocated under the 12th Malaysia Plan from 2021 to 2025. According to JTU sources, only RM68 million has been spent - RM20 million in 2021; RM6.97 million in 2022; RM10 million in 2023; RM20 million in 2024; and RM12 million projected for 2025 — falling short of the RM100 million allocation, leaving RM31 million unused. As MP, Madius said, he consistently raised the issue in the Dewan Rakyat to advocate for increased federal allocations to ensure titles can be issued for Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands. 'However, if JTU lacks the capacity to implement the programme, then all our efforts will be in vain. 'Overall, the people of Sabah are grateful to both the Federal and State Governments for implementing the Pantas programme. 'Since its inception in 2011 up to 2025, the programme has benefitted 84,614 customary landowners across Sabah, covering a total area of 484,025.451 acres,' he said. Madius said the Tuaran Parliamentary Service Centre would submit proposals for several more villages to be included in the Pantas land survey initiative. Also present at the event were Kiulu Sub-district Chief OKK Kumin Gapai, Kotunuan Lama Village Chief Akim Kuling, Lokos Village Chief Steven Kimbin and Kg. Lokos Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) Chairman Aloysius Wong, along with representatives from JTU. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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