Orang Asli villagers living in fear of tigers ‘evicted’ by loggers

 

The group representing the Orang Asli from Gua Musang, Kelantan, handing over their memorandum to a representative of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Putrajaya today.

PETALING JAYA: Large-scale farming and logging activities have led to hundreds of Orang Asli families being displaced for fear of attacks by wild animals, say Orang Asli from Gua Musang, Kelantan.

In a memorandum slamming the federal and Kelantan government authorities, they said several in their community had been attacked by tigers and bears that had lost their habitats. One of the Orang Asli was a man from Kampung Sau who died in December after an incident.

The memorandum from Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Kelantan (JKOAK) on the human-wildlife crisis was forwarded to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Putrajaya today.

Mohd Syafiq Dendi Abdullah, chairman of Jaringan Kampung Pos Simpor, told reporters that wild animals were now entering Orang Asli villages, affecting the community’s daily activities and ability to get food.

Mohd Syafiq Dendi Abdullah (right) and Nasir Dollah, of Jaringan Kampung Pos Simpor, outside the Prime Minister’s Office.

He said villagers around Gua Musang were also exposed to attacks by wild elephants.

Shafiq said the Orang Asli feared that the situation may worsen following the proposal to set up the Sungai Nenggiri dam that would likely cause further environmental destruction.

He criticised the inefficiency of wildlife agencies such as the wildlife and national parks department (Perhilitan), which he alleged used firecrackers to shoo away the tigers.

“(Getting rid of the tigers like this) does not solve the root problem.

“Perhilitan officers do not hold discussions with the villagers before carrying out their operations, leading to them going against Orang Asli customs,” he said.

Syafiq said logging had been going on since the present Kelantan government came to power 23 years ago.

“The areas they log are Orang Asli land. Even at the height of the pandemic, they were logging even more aggressively, all the while disrespecting the Orang Asli.

“Do they think the Orang Asli are stupid? Are we not considered human? They come and log without considering our situation.

“This has disappointed and angered us because the government has breached our rights and exploited us,” he said after handing over the memorandum to an officer at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The memorandum stated that complaints had been lodged with the Gua Musang Perhilitan office, which the document pointed out had yet to capture the three tigers roaming the villages under the Pos Bihai administration.

It also blamed the wildlife issue on the Kelantan government which had approved logging, agriculture, mining and mega dam projects, resulting in deforestation. - FMT