Senator moots special economic stimulus package for the Orang Asli

Senator Manolan Mohamad has suggested that the government should come up with an economic stimulus package specifically for the Orang Asli, who have been badly impacted by the movement control order (MCO).

“We look at other countries, for example in Canada and the US, they have a special economic package for their indigenous people.

“Thus, I suggest that our government also prepares an economic stimulus package specifically for the Orang Asli because there are also many Orang Asli who have lost their jobs,” Manolan said at a forum titled "Orang Asli Speak: Facing Post-MCO Challenges", which was live-streamed last night.

He pointed out that many Orang Asli with jobs in the city were paid daily wages, so they did not have any source of income during the MCO, when they were restricted from working.

Manolan, who is the senator representing Orang Asli issues, also suggested that the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) negotiates with the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) and the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) over the Orang Asli land developed by them.

“There should be a cooperation between Felcra, Risda and Jakoa, where the Orang Asli community affected by Covid-19, who have returned to their kampung, can at least work on these farms and plantations to have a source of income,” he said.

The government should also look into developing infrastructure in Orang Asli villages, such as better road access, he said, so that the community can easily market and sell their products.

As it is now, due to terrible road conditions, it is difficult for the community to send their products out to sell, Manolan (below) added.

Jakoa director-general Juli Edo, who also spoke at the forum, said the MCO should be looked at from a more positive perspective, as it has given society time to pause and reflect on the state of the world.

“Before the pandemic, we were so obsessed, so caught up with chasing development and riches to build an empire until we forgot our values, and at the same time, we destroyed our environment.

“Suddenly, we have been forced to stop from continuing this obsession… so we can look back and examine what we have done to our environment, to our ecology system, to our society,” Juli said.

Moving forward, he said, the country should look towards a more balanced path between development, the well-being of society and the environment.

Juli (below) also praised the Orang Asli for following the MCO restrictions and taking their own initiatives to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in their community.

Some Orang Asli tribes have retreated from society while others have restricted outsiders from entering their village, he said.

Another panellist, Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer Prof Bahari Belaton, focused on the education aspect, saying that this has been a long-standing issue for the Orang Asli community.

Under the MCO, all schools have been closed although classes are still being conducted online, Bahari pointed out.

Many Orang Asli students struggle with online classes due to various factors, such as lack of devices or stable internet connection, he said.

Many lecturers also struggled with preparing suitable materials for these students without electronic devices or proper internet, he added.

“From my experience, when the universities introduced online teaching, there were students without laptops, for example.

“So, some lecturers loaned out laptops or provided (internet) data (for their students) or in the worst-case scenario, they would prepare materials the old way by printing them out on paper and sending them to their students. But this is the new normal,” Bahari said.

At the same time, the parents’ roles are also very important in ensuring their children do keep up with their school work and education.

"Local champions" can also play an important role, such as gathering all the necessary teaching materials and placing them in an easily accessible area for Orang Asli students, he suggested.

The Education Ministry had previously announced that public schools would reopen on June 24, but only for students facing examinations such as SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia), SVM (Sijil Vokasional Malaysia), STPM (Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia) and STAM (Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia), as well as the equivalent international examinations. - Mkini