KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The RM100 million allocated for the Orang Asli community will be fully utilised for the development of the community, especially on education, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (National Unity and Social Wellbeing) Senator P. Waytha Moorthy.

He said education would be one of the key aspects in efforts to improve the social economy of the Orang Asli community.

Hence, he said, proper planning would be made to ensure the success of all programmes that had been planned and would be implemented.

"The Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) is placed under the supervision of my portfolio three weeks ago. We are taking proactive measures and will discuss with all interested parties to ensure the needs of the Orang Asli community are fulfilled.

"From discussions held, the Orang Asli people are not keen to send their children to residential schools. So, the government will try to bring education closer to them,” he told Bernama in an interview at his office at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya.

​​​​​​​P. Waytha Moorthy said this in response to Budget 2019 which was tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in Parliament last Wednesday.

He said transportation and road access in the Orang Asli settlements also needed to be improved.

"Lack of these facilities pose a major problem for the Orang Asli children to go to school, as the schools are far from their villages, as well as for the adults to go out to look for jobs,” he added.

He said he would work with the relevant ministries to help improve the economic standard of the Orang Asli community. — Bernama