Deepest condolence : 7 orang asli dead in landslide in Cameroh Highlands

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Seven people have died in the Cameron Highlands landslide, with two others surviving the incident.

A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the last victim was found at 1.21am Monday.

The two injured are being treated at the Ipoh General Hospital.

Earlier, it was reported that three women were confirmed to have died in the landslide which hit the Sungai Ruil Orang Asli settlement here Sunday.

Cameron Highlands Police chief DSP Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu said that three others, two men and a woman, were seriously injured in the landslide which occurred at about 5.45pm during heavy rain.

He said that at least three others were feared to be still buried in the landslide.

Wan Mohd Zahari told reporters that the body of the first victim was recovered at about 6.15pm while two of the injured were pulled out of the mud 20 minutes later.

He said the body and the two injured were sent to the Hospital Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom in Tanah Rata.

Three houses were reported to have been buried in the landslide and two others slightly damaged.

Up to midnight Sunday, more than 100 policemen, firemen and civil defence department personnel were carrying out search and rescue operations with the help of the residents.

A spokesman of the operations room of the Brinchang district police said all the victims were from the settlement.

Residents living close to the landslide have been evacuated to the Brinchang multi-purpose hall.

The settlement near Tanah Rata have 145 houses for a population of 1,300 people. - Bernama >> Star, 8/8/2011, Cameron Highlands landslide: Seven dead

Tanah runtuh di kampung Orang Asli: 7 maut, 2 parah

by Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) on Monday, August 8, 2011 at 12:01pm

Pemandangan penempatan Orang Asli Sungai Ruil selepas tanah runtuh yang berlaku pada hari Ahad -Bernama-

CAMERON HIGHLANDS, 8 Ogos 2011 (Malaysiakini.com): Tujuh termasuk empat wanita maut, manakala dua parah dalam kejadian tanah runtuh di perkampungan Orang Asli Sungai Ruil di Brinchang, Cameron Highlands petang semalam.

Mereka yang terbunuh dikenali sebagai Normadiah Lasik, 69, Ali Hassan, 50, Jaafar, 49, Mohd Ikbal Jaafar, 15, Sara Gunung, 37, Norma Gunung, 51, dan Yusnizan Yusof, 22, manakala yang parah pula ialah Bah Anjang Besar a/l Anjang, 39, dan Serry Priary a/p Suri, 15 tahun.

"Segala operasi mencari dan menyelamat telah dihentikan pada 1.50 pagi. Bagaimanapun pihak polis meneruskan bagi menjalankan operasi kawalan di kawasan kejadian," kata Ketua Polis Cameron Highlands DSP Wan Zahari Wan Busu kepada pemberita.

Beliau berkata mangsa terakhir ditemui 1.20 pagi.

Semua mangsa yang maut dibawa ke Hospital Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom untuk bedah siasat manakala yang parah dibawa ke Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun di Ipoh untuk rawatan lanjut, katanya.

Wan Zahari berkata berkata kedua-dua mangsa yang cedera itu dilaporkan stabil.

"Sebanyak 248 anggota pelbagai agensi antaranya polis, Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat, pasukan SMART dan Rela terlibat dalam operasi di kawasan kejadian," katanya.

Beliau berkata semua 60 keluarga yang mendiami rumah di kawasan berisiko sudah dipindahkan ke Dewan Serba guna Brinchang di Cameron Highlands.

Dalam kejadian 5.45 petang itu, banjir lumpur dan tanah runtuh selepas hujan lebat sejak 5 petang, menimbus tiga rumah Projek Perumahan Rakyat Termiskin di perkampungan berbukit berkenaan.

Sementara itu, tinjauan Bernama di Dewan Serba guna Brinchang pada 4.30 pagi tadi mendapati proses pemindahan kesemua keluarga terbabit masih berjalan di bawah penyelenggaraan Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) daerah Cameron Highlands.

Pemindahan kesemua keluarga itu, yang dibuat secara pukal, dibantu oleh pengangkutan pihak polis.

Jurucakap JKM memberitahu mereka akan tinggal di situ sementara menunggu pengesahan status kawasan kediaman mereka di Sungai Ruil selamat untuk diduduki semula.

Mesin pengorek digunakan untuk mencari mangsa-mangsa yang terperangkap dibawah runtuhan. - Bernama -

Sukarelawan dan pasukan penyelamat sedang mencari mereka yang masih hidup. -Bernama-

Stop harrassing Orang Asli, says Malaysian Bar

Press Release

 

Stop police harassment of Orang Asli

 

The Malaysian Bar notes with concern the incidents of harassment and intimidation of Orang Asli in Negeri Sembilan, by the police and Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA), over the past week.

Two days prior to a “customary meeting” (perjumpaan adat) for various villages that was scheduled to be held in Kampung Sebir, Seremban on 30 September 2010, a police officer from Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Seremban 2 questioned the Tok Batin of Kampung Sebir regarding the purpose of the meeting, and the number and identity of the attendees. The officer stated that the Tok Batin was required to provide written notification of the meeting to the police. On 30 September itself, JHEOA officials who went to the village on another matter also raised questions regarding the meeting. Two police officers subsequently arrived during the meeting and stated that advance notification of such meetings must be made to the police in order to obtain approval.

The Malaysian Bar is troubled that the authorities see fit to interfere with the basic rights of this Orang Asli community to assemble and discuss issues of concern to them. This constitutes bullying and intimidation of these Orang Asli, and must stop.

We also note that the Government proposes to expedite the passage of amendments to the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 through Parliament. However, despite several requests, the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development has not disclosed the contents of the proposed amendments, and the Orang Asli are therefore in the dark as to their precise nature.

The public disclosure thus far indicates that the proposed amendments will be substantial, and will have serious repercussions upon the culture and life of the Orang Asli, and their rights to their ancestral lands. As such, the Government must ensure that the proposed reform is thoroughly discussed and seriously considered beforehand, taking into account the views of the Orang Asli who will be affected.

The Malaysian Bar calls on the Government to immediately make public the proposed amendments and to allow for a comprehensive and frank discussion with all the relevant stakeholders before the proposals are tabled in Parliament. We also urge the authorities to uphold the rights of all persons, including the Orang Asli, to meet to discuss matters of interest and concern.

We further call on the Government to fulfil its obligation to accord full respect to the rights of the Orang Asli, and not to act in any manner inconsistent with those rights.

  

Ragunath Kesavan

President

Malaysian Bar

 

4 October 2010

Orang Asli, the most marginalised by the UMNO-led coalition governments after 50+ years of independence

The Orang Asli community in Malaysia are still in a bad state... and the article below touches on health and healthcare..

"In the 1980s, life expectancy at birth among the Semai orang asli was some 35 years. (For West Malaysians it was 68-72 years)."

"Among Malaysian women giving birth at home in 1994, 42 died; 60% of these (25) were Orang Asli." 

They are a very small group in Peninsular Malaysia, the original inhabitants of the Peninsular, the 'kings of the land' since we call Malays, the later arrivals the 'princes of the land'- Bumiputra, 

The current state of the orang asli community of Peninsular Malaysia is an indication of how much the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government has failed the people of Malaysia.

Some may wonder why the author of the article is not furnishing us with latest statistics - well, it is difficult to get them. Our government may most likely have all these statistics but they are 'hidden' from the people - those 'official secrets'.

In respond to the recent protest by the Orang Asli community in Putrajaya, which received some media coverage, our Minister says that the Orang Asli is not forgotten and marginalized - the government is going to take an Orang Asli craftsman overseas (was it the US) to demonstrate his skills as part of a tourism exercise. 

Last year, I visited the Taman Negara - and one of the attraction was the Orang Asli villages. Oh yes, they are kept 'development free' like 'animals in a zoo' for the purpose of tourism. The community also do not have piped drinking water or electricity. Is this the way we treat our indigenous people.

I remember how the government brought(or rather forced) many Orang Asli to leave their homes and lifes to come stay in houses in Bukit Lanjan.  They had been living hapily with dignity surviving with the riches from the forest suddenly thrown into to the fringes of the city, where the forests around the area was just not enough ...and is now almost completely gone. The whole area has been 'developed'. Hence, the orang asli in that area was forced into 'modern economy' becoming lowest paid workers, if they managed to get work. It is not the giving of wooden/brick houses that the Orang Asli wants - yes, the question that the government should be asking the Orang Asli themselves is what do they want. Now, the plans are to give them a certain plot of land each - but clearly the area of land is insufficient for them or their lifestyles. 

There were lands gazetted as Orang Asli Land - but alas the title was not given to the community (or the persons in that community) - and many of these lands have since been re-gazetted and land that remains is so much more smaller. On the other hand, the Malays were given land titles.

The Orang Asli wants to be represented in Parliament - but alas, there is no Orang Asli Member of Parliament. Senators - well, the Government chose one - but the Orang Asli community wants to choose their own Senator, someone who will represent the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia - not a government appointee, who will serve the UMNO-led BN government.

Local Council - Since the States are still appointing (and not allowing the people to elect), I wonder how many Orang Asli local councillors are there in Malaysia, be it in the Barisan ruled States or the Pakatan Rakyat ruled States.

I agree with the author, when he says that the Orang Asli, after 50 over years of  independence under the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional rule still remains the most marginalised community in the country.

Pakatan Rakyat can lead the way - maybe their next Senator could be an Orang Asli chosen by the Orang Asli community democratically. Maybe, Orang Asli local councillors - again chosen by the community  in the area. Maybe, the Pakatan Rakyat states can gazette new land as Orang Asli land, and ownership be given to the community (or if the community decides to the individual households or individuals). Development of the land maybe could be subjected to an Orang Asli council elected by the Orang Asli themselves. [I believe that the Kampung Baru land in KL had similar Board of Trustees/Governors, etc - and any development plans, sale, transfer, etc would require the consent of this Board - it is very unique situation for other land usually only require the consent of the State - do not know whether the UMNO-led BN government has managed to change the state of affairs with regard the Kampung Baru land]

I do not need to give suggestions - the Orang Asli knows what they want. All we have to do is listen.

The recent disclosures made by Dr Selva Vathany Pillai concerning malpractice and the misappropriation of resources by hospital authorities at the Gombak Hospital bring into stark focus, the social and health status of this community.

The Orang Asli, (aboriginal peoples), who are the most marginalised community in the country continue to suffer the loss of their lands through resettlement, logging, mining, dam construction, golf course development, plantation schemes, re-groupment and assimilation into mainstream society.

Orang Asli rights to their ancestral lands are not recognised by the state; as such they have been increasingly dispossessed of their lands and suffer destruction of their subsistence base. 

Government policy has been to regroup and resettle them to grow cash crops and food. Land pressure and the lack of state assistance and support have led to increasing hardship. Today, some 80 percent of the Orang Asli live below the official poverty line.

Consider the following health indicators:

• In the 1980s, life expectancy at birth among the Semai orang asli was some 35 years. (For West Malaysians it was 68-72 years).

• The Orang Asli had an incidence of tuberculosis twice the national average between 1951 to 1971. By 1995 the rate for Orang asli children was three times the average in the Perak state.

• In 1991 and 1992, Orang Asli averaged 48% of all malaria infections, recorded in West Malaysia (comprising less than 1% of the population). In recent years, they have averaged over 70% of the cases.

• The crude death for Orang Asli was 1% per year for the period 1984-87, twice as high as the West Malaysian average (0.5%). Their Infant mortality rate was 5.2%, more than three times the West Malaysia average (1.6%).

• Among Malaysian women giving birth at home in 1994, 42 died; 60% of these (25) were Orang Asli.

• A 1995 study showed that Orang Asli women are the most malnourished adult group in West Malaysia, with 35% of them suffering protein-energy malnutrition.

• Anemia is widespread in Orang Asli women. In one study, Temuan Orang Asli women had an average haemoglobin level of 9.9 g/dl (gm/100ml) far below the acceptable level of 12 –15 g/dl.

• Recent studies find 23% to 68% of Orang Asli children underweight, while 41% to 80% are stunted in their growth.

• Serological tests reveal that 82% of Orang Asli showed prior exposure to dengue-virus illness.

• In 1994, leprosy was 23 times more prevalent in Orang Asli than in the general population.

• In 1990, only 67 of 774 Orang Asli villages (9%) contained a medical clinic.

Despite the dismal findings, the Orang Asli community have failed to receive the attention they deserve. Today, the Orang Asli remain the most unhealthy community in Malaysia, an expression of their marginal status in society. Malnutrition is a serious problem among the Orang Asli, and Orang Asli women are the most malnourished adult group in West Malaysia.

This is due to a lost of foraging and farm land, the increase in river pollution, dietary inadequacies; the level and frequency of infectious diseases, intestinal infestations and discrimination.

Orang Asli women have high levels of iron and folate deficiency, worm burdens and malaria. This has only made worse the nutritional degradation among the most vulnerable groups ie, women of childbearing age and young children.

The Orang Asli have always foraged for a variety of food resources even when they were 'farmers' and they enjoyed high-quality food with interesting variety if seldom in large quantities. As these sources of food dwindle, they are forced to buy modern food eg, sugar, processed flour, sweet condensed milk, tinned food, and cooking oil resulting in unhealthy, unbalanced and scarce nutrition.

Studies have revealed that aneamia is a significant cause of ill health among Orang Asli women; and maternal and childhood goitre has not seen much improvement between 1951 and 1995.

Maternal health is central to both maternal and infant survival and the health and vitality of Orang Asli communities. The nutritional status of Orang Asli children have been described as poor by various studies.

In 1987 it was found that 54 percent were underweight and 66 percent stunted. Other studies have confirmed that widespread malnutrition exists among Orang Asli children; and the frequency of stunting range from 44 percent in infants to 80 percent in 2 to 6 year olds.

Researchers have concluded that the 'nutritional status of Orang Asli children is perilous'. 

Because of serious childhood malnutrition in addition to intestinal worms and other problems, Orang Asli children face severe impairment to their physical, intellectual and social development. The grim health statistics reveal that maternal and child ill health and malnutrition in Orang Asli communities needs to be urgently addressed.

Even the Orang Asli Hospital in Gombak has seen little improvement. Critics have pointed out the 'temporary' wooden structures at Gombak Hospital built in 1959 by Orang Asli workers, still house patients. Hospital staffing still lacks specialists in various medical disciplines. Nor is health education properly addressed by the current medical bureaucracy for the Orang Asli. According to the head of Gombak Hospital Orang Asli health was not well served by the 'staff attitude' at medical facilities.

Under the law, all aspects of their lives are 'managed' by the Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA). In short, they are wards of the state with little say over their own affairs and lives.

The Orang Asli community must be involved in deciding their priorities and their needs as only they know their problems best. In this regard, the mobilisation of the active support and involvement of the community is fundamental to their health improvement.

The writer is president, Consumers Association of Penang.- Malaysiakini, 16/3/2010, The sorry state of Orang Asli health - by SM Mohamed Idris

See earlier posts:-

Orang Asli:- When the 'kings of the land' marginalized by 'princes of the land' and UMNO-led BN

SUHAKAM: Orang Asli - "...marginalised in a system similar to 'apartheid'..."

 

SUHAKAM: Orang Asli - "...marginalised in a system similar to 'apartheid'..."

Orang Asli - marginalised and oppressed.

Special provisions, quotas, etc for Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak - but for the natives of Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, the Orang Asli (the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia) are left out ....marginalised...

Suhakam vice-chairperson Simon Sipaun :- "I'm not surprised with the protest. It is expected that the Orang Asli community would protest as they have been marginalised in a system similar to 'apartheid'," he said without mincing his words.- Malaysiakini, 17/10/2010, Orang Asli marginalised by conditions akin to 'apartheid'

See Article 153 of the Federal Constitution that also makes no mention about the 'Orang Asli' of Peninsular Malaysia

153.  Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc., for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak.

(1) It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

(2) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, but subject to the provisions of Article 40 and of this Article, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall exercise his functions under this Constitution and federal law in such manner as may be necessary to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak of such proportion as he may deem reasonable of positions in the public service (other than the public service of a State) and of scholarships, exhibitions and other similar educational or training privileges or special facilities given or accorded by the Federal Government and, when any permit or licence for the operation of any trade or business is required by federal law, then, subject to the provisions of that law and this Article, of such permits and licences....

SUHAKAM says it best - and challenges Malaysian Federal Government (and State governments) to correct this grave injustice...

Suhakam vice-chairperson Simon Sipaun said the Orang Asli protest in Putrajaya today is a cumulation of frustration among the indigenous community over a period of many years.

"I'm not surprised with the protest. It is expected that the Orang Asli community would protest as they have been marginalised in a system similar to 'apartheid'," he said without mincing his words.

The Suhakam commissioner described the Orang Asli community's demands such as recognition of their land rights and representation in the legislative assembly as “fair and proper”.

"I believe that they should be entitled to representation by their 'own people' in both Parliament and the state assembly," he said.

He added that they should also be given the same development priorities and preferential treatment enjoyed by the Malays.

When asked to comment on the government's response to cases involving Orang Asli brought up by Suhakam, he said: "The government has always been defensive when it comes to issues pertaining to Orang Asli issue."

He said government officers would generally respond: 'We have done everything for the Orang Asli community in line with the law'.

Sipaun, who is a Kadazandusun from Sabah, considered today's protest in Putrajaya as an Orang Asli's version of the 2007 Hindraf protest - an event which saw the awakening of the Indian Malaysian minority about their plight.

Failure of the NEP

Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng (left), however, disagree that the protest can be equated with the Hindraf protest.

He said issues pertaining the Indian rights has been widely propagated through both mainstream and alternative media, while only a few alternative media carried news about the Orang Asli rights.

Khoo, said the protest, symbolises the failure of National Economic policy (NEP),which supposedly meant to advance the rights and welfare of the Orang Asli, among others.

'It should be a wake-up call for the government and they should now accommodate the needs of the Orang Asli rather than trying to slip its NEP's failure under the carpet," he added.- - Malaysiakini, 17/10/2010, Orang Asli marginalised by conditions akin to 'apartheid'

See also earlier post:- Orang Asli:- When the 'kings of the land' marginalized by 'princes of the land' and UMNO-led BN

Orang Asli:- When the 'kings of the land' marginalized by 'princes of the land' and UMNO-led BN

Orang Asli - the original people of Peninsular Malaysia, should be referred to as "kings of the land", as later arrivals to Malaysia, i.e. the Malays are being referred to as 'princes of the land' (the Bumiputera)

There are possible about 200,000 or more Orang Asli (indigenoue people of Peninsular Malaysia), and they have been discriminated against by the UMNO-led  BN government. [UMNO - United Malay National Organisation] . Even in our Federal Constitution, special positive discrimination provisions exist for the benefit of Malays and the Natives of Sabah & Sarawak - but not the Peninsular Malaysia's Orang Asli.

Even our Prime Minister shows no respect to the Orang Asli. When over 2,000 Orang Asli on 17/3/2010 marched to the Prime Minister's Department in Putrajaya in a rare protest against what they deem to be the government's unfair land policy. Their intention was to to hand over a memorandum, signed by 9,071 Orang Asli throughout Peninsular Malaysia, to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The police stopped the march, and also  were barred from raising their banners and chanting slogans.  The police diverted part of the group to the Ministry of Rural Development, about 500m away, where they were asked to see Rural Development Minister Shafie Afdal, who gave them lunch. Pacify and crush dissent, was that it? 

Then, a delegation of 5 were allowed to go to the Prime Minister's Office - but it was not the Prime Minister...or the Deputy Prime Minister...or even some Minister from the Prime Ministers Department that met them to receive their memorandum...but  Rural Development Minister Shafie Afdal. (or was it some 'officer'). To date the Prime Minister (or the Deputy Prime Minister), and that shows how much respect this UMNO-led BN has for the 'kings of the land'..

ORANG ASLI POPULATION STATISTICS

The data given below have been collated from various sources including government reports, official seminar presentations, newsreports and academic articles.

---

ORANG ASLI POPULATION TREND

Year	Orang Asli population
1960	43,896
1965	45,985
1969	52,943
1974	56,927
1989	72,039
1993	92,959
1998	116,119
2000	133,775
2003	147,412

---

ORANG ASLI POPULATION BREAKDOWN
as at 2000

Category	Ethnic subgroup	Population	Total
Negrito	Kensiu   Kintak   Jahai   Lanoh   Mendriq   Batek	254 150 1,244 173 167 1,519	3,507
Senoi	Semai  Temiar  Jah Hut  Che Wong  Mah Meri  Sema Beri	34,248 17,706 2,594 234 3,503 2,348	60,633
Aboriginal  Malay	Temuan  Semelai  Jakun  Orang Kanaq  Orang Kuala  Orang Seletar	18,560 5,026 21,484 73 3,221 1,037	49,401
			113,541

    The figures do not include those living outside designated Orang Asli settlements and centres.- Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) website

Cops halt Orang Asli advance on Putrajaya

Aidila Razak
Mar 17, 10, 12:06pm

 

Police today stopped more than 2,000 Orang Asli from marching to the Prime Minister's Department in Putrajaya in a rare protest against what they deem to be the government's unfair land policy.

The protest, dubbed the biggest Orang Asli demonstration in history by Centre for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas, was stopped by a contingent of police officers 15 minutes after the march kicked off.

The Orang Asli protesters arrived this afternoon at the country's administrative capital in 40 buses and gathered at the Putrajaya Mosque.

They had planned to march from the mosque to the Prime Minister's Department to hand over a memorandum, signed by 9,071 Orang Asli throughout Peninsular Malaysia, to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The group, comprising the young, old and even children, held banners declaring 'Tanah kami, maruah kami' (Our land, our dignity) and Kita bukan Melayu, kita tetap Orang Asli (We are not Malays, we will always be Orang Asli), among others.

Some of them were dressed in their traditional attire, complete with loincloths and colourful headgear made of flowers, tree bark and coconut leaves.

Re-routed by police

The police told the protesters not to display their banners and redirected half of the crowd to the nearby Ministry of Rural Development, about 500m away.

They were then met by Rural Development Minister Shafie Afdal who engaged the protesters in dialogue and treated them to lunch.

The Orang Asli were told not to march all the way to the Prime Minister's Department but were allowed to send five representatives to hand over the memorandum.

The protestors eventually agreed to send a five-member delegation to the PM's Department despite the request being initially boo-ed by the crowd.

The rest of the protest group were then made to wait at the sidewalk, and were again barred from raising their banners and chanting slogans.

Shafie, representing Najib, received two separate memoranda, under the watch of about 20 police officers, at the gates of the PM's Department, some 200 metres away from the protestors.

 

The first, by Persatuan Orang Asli Semenanjung president Majid Suhut, demanded that the community have a say over the Orang Asli representative in Dewan Negara.

The memorandum was first submitted to prime mnister last December.

The second memorandum was handed in by Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Perak (JKOAP) secretary Tijah Yokchopil and pertained to the land ownership policy.

In this memorandum, the Orang Asli cried foul over the lack of consultation and the fact that they will be denied autonomy over their land, which will be instead be managed by developers.

They also object to the fact that the land proposed for their allocation only includes 15 percent of recognised traditional Orang Asli land.

'Reasonable demands'

Upon receiving the memoranda, Shafie reassured the Orang Asli leaders that their recommendations will be taken into consideration when amendments to the National Land Act are tabled at the next parliamentary sitting.

"We open our ears to whatever grouses the public, in particular the Orang Asli, have. If anyone says we are depriving them, we are neglecting them, that's not true," Shafie (right) told reporters.

He said the protesters today came to Putrajaya to take photos as they have only seen the administrative capital on television.

"Some even took photos with me," he said.

Protestors cheered upon witnessing the handing over of memoranda, and triumphantly chanted 'Hidup Orang Asli' before dispersing at 3pm.

 

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, at a press conference in the Parliament lobby, assured that reasonable demands by the Orang Asli would be taken into account.

He said he was not aware of the protest and the community's demands but stressed that the government has always supported the Orang Asli and taken an interest in their welfare.

"If they are unhappy, they can submit their views on it and the department concerned will scrutinise it. If there is any proposition which is reasonable, we will do what is necessary," he said.

Today's protest was organised by the Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli Association (POASM) and the Network of Orang Asli Villages Perak.

According to coordinator Jenita Engi, representatives of seven states decided to demonstrate after negotiations with the Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA) earlier this month came to a dead end.

Among the complaints were the fact that only six to eight acres of land will be allocated to each household.

"We demand that all the land explored by our ancestors should be handed over to us, and not just these six to eight acres," she told Malaysiakini yesterday.

Activists want Orang Asli claims to their customary land recognised, saying their continual occupation and economic activities establish their ownership.

The Orang Asli community is also demanding that all restrictions be removed to allow them the right to sell their land.

They said the land policy is to be part of a proposed amendment to Act 134 of the National Land Act, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament by June.

It's our land

According to the Orang Asli, the new legislation will give them only 50,000 hectares of the 129,000 they claim.

 

"Who are you to give the land when it is already the Orang Asli's," said Colin Nicholas (right), coordinator for the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns.

Nicholas said the planned amendment to the Aboriginal People's Act would give each family only two to six acres of land.

"Once they get this plot of land, they will lose (their rights to) other plots of land," he said.

Shafie confirmed the proposed amendment would give each each family two to six acres but said the terms were not final.

 

"This is not finalised so that's why we need their views. We are willing to listen," he said.

There are 140,000 Orang Asli divided into 18 ethnic groups - or less than one percent of the country's 28 million population - and they are generally disadvantaged in terms of income, health, education and living standards.

This is the second street protest by the Orang Asli this year, with the first having taken place in front of the JHEOA hospital in Gombak, Selangor, on Feb 24.

Orang Asli marginalised by conditions akin to 'apartheid'

Additional reporting and photos by AFP- Malaysiakini, 17/3/2010, Cops halt Orang Asli advance on Putrajaya