The 21 Orang Asli villagers accused of “trespassing” land owned by the Pahang sultan will be released by today.
“We released 17 women on bail yesterday; the remaining four will be granted bail at around 3.30pm today,” Rompin district police chief Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi told Malaysiakini.
The villagers from the Jakun tribe were arrested on Monday. According to their representative, Azman Idom, they were attempting to dismantle a barricade erected at the entrance to what they claim is their customary land.
“We have lived in this area for generations, and the access road that was blocked leads to oil palm plantations, rubber smallholdings, and ancestral farms.
“There are also villagers’ houses within this customary land area,” he said on Monday following the arrests.
However, Sharif had told Malaysiakini that the land grant bears the name of Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
‘Damaged barriers, cut oil palm trees’
The arrests were made after a representative of the company appointed to manage the land had lodged a complaint against the Kampung Jemeri villagers.
“The company’s representative claimed that a group of Orang Asli trespassed and damaged iron barriers and cut down oil palm trees on the 718.281ha plantation owned by the Pahang sultan without permission,” he said yesterday.
The case is being investigated under Section 447 of the Penal Code related to criminal trespass and Section 427 pertaining to “mischief causing damage”.
Meanwhile, the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) said it has been in contact with the police since the case began to seek their release.
“Jakoa appreciates the police’s cooperation in releasing 17 individuals and fully respects the investigative process being conducted by the authorities.
“We urge all parties to give time for the police to conduct investigations in a manner that is fair, transparent, and in accordance with the law,” it said in a statement today. - Mkini
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