Orang Asli want to meet Negeri Sembilan MB on their land

Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hassan has been urged to meet with the Orang Asli communities in the state before gazetting their land.

The Negeri Sembilan Orang Asli Villages Network (JKOANS) said they were thankful that Mohamad was gazetting 68 native villages in the state, but said a meeting was needed to avoid any confusion on the matter.

"This is so we are given a thorough explanation regarding the gazetting exercise, so that there is no misunderstanding about the menteri besar's intentions.

"Besides that it will also give us the opportunity to contribute to efforts to solve (the land) problems, so that any solution made is a collective decision," JKOANS chairperson Alam Suhut said in a statement today.

Alam said the discussions would ensure that the Orang Asli's rights and cultural identities are protected.

The call to postpone the gazetting exercise pending a meeting was made, he added, after a meeting between JKOANS and village chiefs from all Negeri Sembilan districts on Dec 22.- Mkini