Factor contributing to unsuccessful customary land development in Sabah: lesson for sustainable solution.

Abstract

Customary land is a valuable resource that holds significant importance for indigenous communities and society. Development of this land can play a significant role in promoting economic growth. Unfortunately, many of the development project planned on this region have fail to achieve sustainable development objective which led to rejection from the indigenous peoples. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the factors that contribute to the failure of development projects on customary land. This paper serves as a preliminary study on the village along the Ulu Papar River. A qualitative method of in-depth interview was carried out involving 50 respondents comprising the villagers. The results indicate that inadequate community consultation and limited local participation to be the main factor behind the issues. The results of this study showed that there are three possible reason i) the absence of cultural priority guidelines; ii) the absence of clear development procedures; iii) lack of opportunities and involvement of indigenous peoples in government development programs. By understanding these factors, valuable lessons can be learned to guide future endeavours and promote sustainable solutions. Ultimately, this research highlights the importance of understanding the unique cultural and social context of customary land to design effective sustainable development project.