The government needs to stop sending "deadwood" officers to the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa), said Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Mohd Nor.
In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, Ramli, the first Orang Asli elected to the Dewan Rakyat, said the community needs passionate and understanding officers in the department.
"Firstly, we must understand the concept of Jakoa. Jakoa is a government body that executes government policies. In my view, the most important aspect of any government agency is the people in the organisation itself.
"Jakoa's main responsibility is to look after the interests of Orang Asli and develop them economically. So, the civil servants who are tasked to execute these duties have to really understand and be into what they are doing.
"From what I have seen, some civil servants (in Jakoa) are really committed while others are there just for the sake of their monthly pay," he said.
This interview was held in conjunction with World Indigenous Day, which is being celebrated around the globe today.
The Umno man became Malaysia's first Orang Asli MP after winning the Cameron Highlands by-election in 2019. He is also the first Orang Asli to have been made Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker.
Ramli, a retired senior police officer, expressed his frustration when asked about the development of the Orang Asli community and Jakoa's assistance to his community so far.
He said he has come across Jakoa officers who possess a lackadaisical attitude and treated Orang Asli poorly because they view them as uneducated and think they would accept anything thrown at them.
He recalled an incident harking back to the 1990s when an Orang Asli man went to the Jakoa district office in Gerik, Perak, to seek assistance for his daughter's education.
Ramli saw the man standing around the Jakoa office looking clueless.
According to him, none of the officers there took the initiative to ask if the man needed assistance.
This went on for some time until Ramli, who was accompanying a relative, pointed out to an officer that the man may need help with something.
"I was sitting near him, so I overheard him telling the officer that his daughter got 5As in SPM. He wanted to know how his daughter could further her studies.
"And you know what the officer told him? He asked the Orang Asli man, who might never have seen a computer or know what it looks like, to go to a cyber cafe and fill up an online form.
"Can you imagine this kind of attitude?" he said.
Ramli then touched on a more recent example. He said he received information last month about an Orang Asli university student who was forced to drop out in her second semester as the university did not receive tuition fees on time.
Calling this another frustration for the community, Ramli claimed that the Jakoa unit in charge of scholarships failed to keep a record of how many Orang Asli students were in universities.
"I believe that if we really want to develop the Orang Asli through Jakoa, we need to put the people there... from its director-general down to the bottom, with people who are committed, understand, and passionate about what they do.
"Because we want to develop a community which has been left far behind by the others.
"This is why I want to suggest to the government: please do not make Jakoa an agency where they place their 'deadwood' officers," he said.
Ramli, who will turn 64 this October, said he is also a Jakoa product, but pointed out that he was lucky to have a very passionate Jakoa officer who helped him in furthering his studies.
He said the government already has good policies in place to help the Orang Asli community in the country, including providing opportunities and some relaxation in rules for Orang Asli students to further their education.
The crux of the matter, Ramli said, is how the policies are executed.
Ramli's sister is Jakoa head
During the interview, Malaysiakini also asked Ramli about the appointment of his younger sister, Sapiah Mohd Nor, as Jakoa director-general last year.
She replaced academician Juli Edo, a Pakatan Harapan appointee whose contract expired in April that year.
It should be noted that Sapiah has repeatedly failed to respond to Malaysiakini's requests for an interview.
Ramli defended the appointment of his sister, saying it was never about nepotism - despite Sapiah being related to both himself and Ajis Sitin, a previous Jakoa chief who is currently a Dewan Negara senator.
According to Ramli, there were no other qualified candidates for the role of Jakoa leader.
"I need to set the record straight. This was never an issue of nepotism. There is a saying - better the devil you know than an angel you don't. I know my sister, and I know how much she holds her integrity to the highest level.
"And she is not a nobody. Her last position at the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry was at Grade 54, and the Jakoa DG is only at the Jusa C level (one step above).
"My sister is also familiar with the government administration process, its financial process, and she also understands government policies. Basically, everything is needed to run a government agency.
"So, this kind of people, don't you think would fit the role as a director-general? Or would you rather put a politician or academician who has zero experience as an administrator and no knowledge of how things work in the government?
"You know what will happen if you put someone without knowledge in such a position? That person would end up being played/cheated by the people they are supposed to lead," he said.
Ramli said during that time when the Jakoa director-general position needed to be filled, there were no other Orang Asli figures who could fit the role.
"Of course, you can just pluck anybody and just put him or her there. Just pick any Orang Asli.
"But we need to put someone who knows how to run the agency. And the most important thing is the person's morals and integrity. Not someone who is just there to arrange projects for cronies," the MP added. - Mkini
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