Malaysia: Indigenous Dayak take palm oil company to court
Malaysia: Has a palm oil company stolen the traditional land of the Indigenous Dayak people? This is the accusation made by the people of Sungai Seruas, who are now taking the company to court. A key piece of evidence is a map they created together with our partner organization SADIA.
The case centers on allegations against the company Tung Huat Sdn. Bhd. According to the villagers, the company has unlawfully seized land they claim as theirs under Native Customary Rights (NCR). The company has also begun establishing a palm oil plantation. In Malaysia, Indigenous peoples have traditional land rights, but they must prove these with documentation.
The villagers therefore sought support from our partner organization, the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA), in December 2024. In April 2025, a team from SADIA worked with local residents to map the land in the Sungai Seruas area – almost 5,000 hectares in total. For one week, they used GPS devices in the forest to record streams, hills, distinctive landmarks, spiritual sites, and other important features, creating a detailed digital map. At the beginning of August, they submitted these materials and other documents to their lawyer.
Now the community is ready to take the case to court as part of its quest for justice and to protect its ancestral lands from unlawful land grabbing.”
– Matek Geram, SADIA
He views mapping as an effective way to hold plantation and timber companies accountable and uphold the rights of Indigenous peoples.
SADIA calls on the relevant authorities to ensure “fair and transparent legal proceedings.” “We also call on all parties to respect the rights of Indigenous and traditional landowners, which are protected by Malaysian law and the federal constitution.”
Rainforest Rescue has been collaborating with SADIA for many years. Here we describe their remarkable work in greater detail.
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