Lawyer slams Jakoa for restricting access to Orang Asli villages

 

Lawyer and activist Siti Kasim has accused the government of trying to control the Orang Asli’s access to information by restricting who can enter their villages in Peninsular Malaysia.

She criticised the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) for instructing the community not to accept visitors without permission from the agency.

According to a post on Jakoa’s Facebook page, the department on May 12 denied giving permission to tok batin (village chiefs) and community members to attend programmes organised by NGOs without approval.

The agency also reminded the Orang Asli community that permission from Jakoa headquarters was required before activities could be held in their villages.

Siti claimed the community had also been threatened with repercussions, including the possibility of losing aid.

“Villagers informed us that they were pressured and threatened with losing their (financial) assistance if they listened to other people.

“So I already told the Orang Asli that they (authorities) have no right to stop any aid that is intended for the group. They cannot simply do this,” she said.

The lawyer argued that the Orang Asli Act only gives the Jakoa director-general the power for the general administration of Orang Asli affairs and welfare.

She said the law does not give the officer absolute power to restrict who the Orang Asli can meet.

She said decisions on whether visitors should be allowed into Orang Asli villages should rest with the community and its leaders.

Malaysiakini has reached out to Jakoa for comment.

Heated confrontation

Siti also claimed that authorities were abusing the Forestry Department to block her from entering an Orang Asli village in Lipis, Pahang, on May 15.

She said she and several Orang Asli activists were travelling there to brief villagers on legal matters affecting their community when they were stopped at about 8pm by state Forestry Department officers, who claimed they lacked a permit to enter a forest reserve.

The incident led to a heated argument, with several Orang Asli, including those said to be from the village, confronting the officers.

“During the argument, tok (village leader) told the officers that they were the ones who invited our group into their village.

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“As a leader of the Pahang Jakun Tribe Association and treasurer of the Pahang Orang Asli Villages Network, this action was unfair because we are also Orang Asli and we wanted to go into an Orang Asli village situated in the forest.

“We are not going there to steal forest produce. We are there on the invitation of the village community through their tok batin,” said Pahang Jakun Tribe Members Association deputy chairperson Jaidi Musa, who was part of the convoy.

Jaidi said that after about 30 minutes, the officers allowed the group to proceed into the village.

Permit required

While Siti believed the officers intended to prevent lawyers and activists from speaking to the Orang Asli community, the Pahang Forestry Department denied there was such an instruction.

Its director, Zainuddin Jamaluddin, said the officers were merely enforcing the law.

“In our law, anyone who wants to enter a forest reserve must get a permit. But this group, they inform the department, they simply entered.

“But to safeguard the interest of the Orang Asli people, we have allowed them to enter but under the supervision of the Forestry Department,” he said. - Mkini