Held at Kampung Iran Suai, about two-hour road journey from here, the ceremony was also attended by the village headman Ketua Kampung Bostani Salleh, his counterpart from Kampung Kuala Suai, Ketua Kampung Dahri Saton and Land and Survey Officer Ngu Tai Kong.

From the total number of titles issued, 47 were from Kampung Iran Suai while the remaining were from Kampung Kuala Suai.

Tiong, who is also the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) treasurer-general, also hoped that applicants who have yet to receive their titles either at the area or other places would be patient to allow the department concerned to complete the process of works.

Explaining some of the causes for delay in the issuance of the titles, he said that there had been a large number of applications received by the department and they had to take some time to scrutinise each of them.

Further investigation also had to be carried out particularly on overlapping claims staked by the applicants and only those with sufficient proof and endorsement from the local community leaders could get through and recommended to be issued with the titles.

Stressing that delays were not meant to be intentional, he added that the department had shown improvement in expediting the process and had tried to reduce the period for the applicants to wait for the outcome of their requests.

While congratulating the landowners who received the titles, he advised them to look after their properties well and to prevent from making easy money by selling off their lands.

"The ceremony that is held today (Sunday) had got nothing to do with the election as it had already being planned much earlier (than the date when the parliament was dissolved) by the department," he added.

The villagers were also warned that during this current run-up period to the election, the oppositions would be attempting to politicise anything that fell along their way merely to gain mileage in instigating the masses.

He added that certain opposition would resort to any kind of tactic, including making baseless accusations against the Barisan Nasional, although their real intention was not to help the rakyat but merely to get attention.

"An opposition had already won the Kidurong state constituency (being part of the area under the parliamentary constituency here) but after he won, how much had he made to fulfill the requests of the rakyat here?" he added.

Tiong also warned the rakyat on attempt of another group of opposition this time around here who would resort to money politics to gain their footings by giving out cash to community leaders or members of village security and development committees.

Urging the rural people not to fall prey to such tactics, he said: "We must always think about our dignity and reputations. Don't let ourselves to be degraded as this opposition had no intention to help people but only to help themselves."