KUALA LUMPUR: Orang Asli who live in forest reserves are not allowed to harvest forest produce for commercial purposes, says deputy energy and natural resources minister Ali Biju.
“Basically, harvesting forest products is only allowed for domestic use, not for commercial purposes,” said the deputy minister in the Senate in his response to a question from Senator Apandi Mohamad (PAS) while winding up the tabling of an amendment Bill for the National Forestry Act 1984.
Apandi also asked whether the move by the Kelantan state government to allocate 2.4ha of forest area to be developed by the Orang Asli for economic purposes was against the Act.
Ali said such activity is permitted and was not against the Act that is being amended as these plots of land are specially allocated for the community for commercial activities, which included planting oil palm trees.
“These six acres (2.4ha) of forest were given to improve the living standard of the Orang Asli so that they don’t occupy other forest areas.
“The Kelantan state government has done the right thing,” he said.
Ali, who is also the Saratok MP, said that to date, there were 850 Orang Asli villages all over the country, with a majority of them located in forest reserves. - FMT
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