More lawyers needed to help Orang Asli

Bar Council Committe on Orang Asli Rights calls for more lawyers to join its fight for the Orang Asli to retain their ancestral land.

PETALING JAYA: Life in the oldest Orang Asli settlement in Cameron Highlands changed for the worse when a landslide swallowed three houses and snatched seven lives in early August.

The century-old Kampung Sungai Ruil was subsequently deemed unsafe and plans were put in place to relocate the 1,2000-odd Semelai Orang Asli.

But a similar directive wasn’t issued to a private developer that is turning the land directly opposite the settlement into a commercial area and rumoured to also be eyeing the settlement land itself.

Kampung Sungai Ruil is but one among hundreds of Orang Asli land grab cases in Peninsula Malaysia that are inudating the Bar Council Committee on Orang Asli Rights (COAR).

A high volume of cases and a shortage of legal expertise in this area has spurred the COAC to organise a seminar on the challenges faced by the Orang Asli to “enlighten” and “awaken the conscience” of lawyers.

COAC chairperson Steven Thiru told FMT that land rights is the single biggest battle being fought by both the Orang Asli and COAC due to the differing stand between them and government establishments.

“These establishments believe that they are bringing development to the Orang Asli by relocating them but that development comes at the cost of losing their ancestral land,” he stated. “This is the fundamental disagreement between both sides.”

“You cannot separate the Orang Asli and their land just because you have built houses for them. They are fishermen and hunters by nature. How will they continue this way of life in a city?”

Despite numerous land rights cases being highlighted in the media, Thiru said that nothing would change if the Orang Asli were not consulted in the government’s development plans for them.

The reason for the lack of consultation, he explained, was that the establishment was only interested in the value of the land for commercial and business purposes.

“Take the hypocrisy in Cameron Highlands,” he pointed out. “If the land is unstable then the private development should be halted. But the bottom line is that the scenery will add value to a multi-storey condominium.”

Orang Asli beginning to feel empowered

The seminar, entitled “Rights Denied – The Orang Asli Struggle Continues!” will highlight case presentations by lawyers and Orang Asli representatives from various settlements.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) will speak on the ongoing historical national inquiry on indigenous land rights while lawyers and academicians will conduct training on the basic elements, practice, procedure and evidence of native title law.

“We’re hoping for an audience of 60-70 lawyers,” Thiru said. “The Orang Asli are beginning to feel empowered because people are willing to speak up for them but our resource pool is still small.”

“Lawyers are especially needed in Kelantan, Pahang and Johor where land rights cases are on the rise. So this seminar is a clarion call to all lawyers who aspire to advocate the rights of the poor, downtrodden and marginalised members of society.”

The seminar will be held at 9am this Saturday at the Bar Council.