DECEMBER 7 — Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) hopes that the next Mentri Besar of Perak recognises and respects the rights of the Orang Asli community.
“Outgoing Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu failed the Orang Asli too. Many attempts to have an open discussion and to find a way to amicably resolve land conflict in Perak by our members have been repeatedly disregarded,” Ramli Aluej, president of Joas Hulu Perak and Batin of Kampung Sg Papan/ Ong Jangking (Air Laba) said.
Faizul had notoriously stated on July 29, 2019 that, “there is no such thing as Orang Asli ‘Tanah adat’ or ancestral land in the state.” That claim has since been rebutted by experts such as Malaysian Bar president Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor and Colin Nicholas from the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC).
Nicholas further cited the 2014 Kampung Kuala Senta case in Bidor in which the court recognized the right of the Orang Asli to their customary lands under common law, and ordered the Perak State Government to gazette the claimed Orang Asli customary lands as an Orang Asli reserve.
The statement by Faizal was made during a standoff between the Temiar Orang Asli from Kampung Cunex and logging companies which had encroached into their ancestral land in the Air Chepam Forest Reserve in Perak. During this time, blockades built by the Orang Asli to stop the loggers were torn down multiple times.
The dispute intensified when logging activities extended to the ancestral land of Kampung Sungai Papan and Ong Jankging, resulting in the arrest of three Orang Asli at a blockade site who were detained at the Gerik police station for two days.
After interventions from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy, the logging was temporarily halted but resumed soon after the Covid-19 movement control order (MCO) was lifted on June 10, 2020, and continues despite the Orang Asli’s repeated objections.
“We hope that the next Mentri Besar of Perak will be fair towards the Orang Asli. As the Director-General of the Department of Orang Asli Affairs (Jakoa) had already explained, we are merely defending our ancestral rights, and not trying to oppose the development of the state. We would welcome development in our ancestral land if it benefits our community,” Aluej added.
* Press statement from the Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (Joas) released on December 7, 2020.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer(s) or organisation(s) and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
