Native land rights: Mahathir’s views ‘simply wrong’

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's latest blog posting on the Orang Asli has rattled several concerned groups.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s description of the status of Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia has come under heavy attack.

Deputy chairman of the Malaysian Bar’s Orang Asli committee Steven Thiru called Mahathir’s recent blog posting on natives, as “wreckless” and “insensitive”.

His colleague, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee, noted Mahathir’s views as “just plain and simply wrong”.

He said there is ample of historical evidence that the Orang Asli have continuously occupied lands and resided in various parts of Peninsular Malaysia and that their claim over their customary ancestral land is rightful.

“They have lived as an organised society, with their own form of self-government, customs, traditions and practices,” said Lim, backing his argument.

In his blog, Mahathir said claims made by Orang Asli that they have more rights to claim Malaysia as their own would mean that the world should acknowledge the rights of other aborigines or natives to claim lands in the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.

“But this is not the same as declaring that the countries belong to the people (who were) originally found there,” said Mahathir.

Prejudicial statements

Orang Asli movement JKOASM coordinator Tijah Yok Chopil said Mahathir’s statement was akin to denying the Orang Asli rights to claim over their ancestral land which is an integral issue to not just the Orang Asli but indigenous globally.

“As a glorious leader, Mahathir should not twist the situation and make statements that borders on enmity and prejudicial.

“Many untoward things can happen following the statement he made,” she said.

She added that his statement could pave the way for exploitation and encroachment over native rights with impunity.

And while Mahathir claimed that the land and rights issue of the Orang Asli is given due recognition by the ruling Barisan Nasional government, Tijah and Lim said there have been many instances where native land have been taken away from them through development policies.

“What has in fact transpired has been a systematic denial of the rights of the Orang Asli, along with the implementation of government-imposed integration policies that cause their coerced resettlement,” said Lim.

In a stern warning, Lim demanded that the Malaysian government recognise and uphold the obligations it undertook when it voted in favour of adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

He added that the gift of being Malaysia is to celebrate the diversity that all Malaysians enjoy.

“Diversity is our strength and not a hindrance. We should reject Dr Mahathir’s idea that there should be a “one-size-fits-all” Malaysian,” said Lim. - FMT