3 Orang Asli detained in land dispute freed, says Anwar

 The prime minister says the matter will be raised with the Pahang government as land affairs fall under the jurisdiction of state authorities.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he spoke on the phone with representatives of the Orang Asli community who visited his residence earlier today. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Three Orang Asli residents from Kampung Sungai Cot in Maran, Pahang, who were detained amid a land dispute, have been released by police, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar said he had spoken on the phone with representatives of the Orang Asli community who visited his residence earlier today and heard their concerns over the disputed land and the arrests.

“Alhamdulillah, I was informed that those who were detained earlier have been released by the police,” he said in a Facebook post.

He said the matter would be raised with the Pahang government as land affairs fall under the jurisdiction of state authorities.

Anwar also urged all parties not to manipulate the issue, but to seek a fair and responsible resolution in accordance with the law.

The development comes after an Orang Asli woman began a 200km protest walk from Maran to Putrajaya with her seven-year-old daughter to highlight concerns over the loss of customary Orang Asli land.

The woman, identified as Juliana, 34, claimed the disputed land included foraging areas relied upon by more than 1,000 Orang Asli residents for their livelihoods and cultural practices.

In a statement released by Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (Peka) president Rajesh Nagarajan, Juliana said the community had previously raised their concerns through official channels but did not receive a satisfactory response.

Juliana began the walk after claiming that several villagers, including her husband, had been detained at the Maran police headquarters during a dispute.

She called for a resolution to the land issue and recognition of Orang Asli’s customary land rights. - FMT