Orang Asli candidate puts land rights at centre of Endau campaign

 Jati Awang says the failure to gazette customary ancestral land is the main concern raised by residents of Orang Asli villages.

Parti Orang Asli Malaysia’s Jati Awang said he has received complaints from the community about the supply of clean water, education, and healthcare facilities.

MERSING:

The sole Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (Asli) candidate in Saturday’s Johor election said his candidacy is to give a voice to the community, which he said had long sought a resolution to issues involving customary land rights.

Jati Awang, who is contesting the Endau seat, said the main concern raised by residents of Orang Asli villages was the failure to gazette Orang Asli land as customary ancestral land (tanah adat), leaving their traditional settlements vulnerable to encroachment.

“Many areas that have been occupied by generations of Orang Asli have yet to be gazetted as customary ancestral land.

“When land is not gazetted, it is more easily encroached upon, creating various problems for the community,” he said.

Jati said he had also received complaints from Orang Asli communities about the supply of clean water, education, and healthcare facilities.

Asli’s debut marks its first official election outing after plans to contest the 2024 Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election fell through when the party withdrew before nomination day because of technical issues.

The Endau seat, with 28,767 registered voters, will see a four-cornered contest involving Jati, Barisan Nasional’s Alwiyah Talib, Pakatan Harapan’s Saiful Nizam Samat and Perikatan Nasional’s Hasnul Hakimi Hussien.

Hasnul said Endau residents had frequently complained to him about the poor condition of roads, which they said had contributed to numerous accidents.

They also raised the need for a bypass road, and the problem of livestock roaming freely on roads, posing a danger to motorists.

“All these issues will be brought to the state government so that appropriate action can be taken,” he said.

Hasnul said he would also focus on expanding Endau’s tourism and fisheries sectors by upgrading facilities at recreational areas such as Pantai Penyabong and Pantai Tanjung Resang.

He also hoped to further develop the local fishing industry to create more job opportunities for residents. - FMT