Jakoa says golf club developer owns Orang Asli village site

The Orang Asli Development Department also claims that affected villagers had agreed to RM2 million in compensation to relocate to Ulu Semenyih but refused to later.

PETALING JAYA: The Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) revealed today that the land where several Orang Asli settlements is built on, belongs to a golf club developer.

“Hence electricity and water supply could not be provided to the villagers of Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Tunggul as the land belonged to Bukit Unggul Golf & Country Resort Sdn Bhd (BUGCR),” the statement read, in a response to an FMT exposé.

The department stated that ownership of the land was granted to BUGCR in 1993.

Jakoa also revealed that RM2 million in compensation had been agreed upon by the villagers to relocate to Kampung Orang Asli Kechau in Ulu Semenyih where BUGCR had built 34 homes for the affected residents.

The agreement was signed by the then state Jakoa director.

“However, the villagers refused to relocate as they would not be able to earn a living,” the statement read, although some villagers did move to other settlements or lived with their relatives elsewhere.

Jakoa however said it would discuss the matter with BUGCR and the District Land Office soon so electricity and water supply could be provided to the village.

FMT recently reported that three settlements – Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Tunggul Block A, Block B and Block C – had no electricity or water supply since the country gained Independence despite its location just 5 km from Putrajaya, the nation’s administrative capital.

Another settlement in the area, Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Jenuk, received water supply only recently although they were still left without electricity.

Most of its residents work as labourers in Bangi, Kajang, Dengkil and Putrajaya.

Earlier today Dengkil assemblyman Shahrum Mohd Sharif alleged that uncooperative landowners were to blame for the absence of electricity supply to the villagers of Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Tunggul.