Behrang Orang Asli fed up over BN’s unkept promises, says PH candidate

Aminuddin Zulkipli says the community has been given promises of land for generations but nothing has materialised.

Amanah’s Behrang candidate Aminuddin Zulkipli (left) with Orang Asli activist Amani Williams-Hunt Abdullah.

TANJONG MALIM: The Orang Asli in the Behrang state constituency here are fed up over promises of land and basic facilities which were not fulfilled by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, says Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Aminuddin Zulkipli.

“What they are asking for is very basic which should have been given to them by the government. The delay in doing anything for the community is inhumane,” Aminuddin told FMT.

He said promises of land had been made for generations but never materialised.

“In fact, some land that was gazetted for them before has been revoked.

“Land is something sensitive to them, so we at PH made it clear that we will recognise their ancestral or burial grounds as their land,” he said at an event at Kampung Pisang, Ulu Rasau, here yesterday.

Behrang falls under the Tanjung Malim parliamentary constituency and has a 62% Malay-majority electorate.

Orang Asli, however, make up a sizeable 9% of voters there.

In 2013, BN’s Rusnah Kassim beat PKR’s Abdul Hadi Abdul Khatab for the seat by 1,968 votes. She had the majority backing of the Orang Asli voters at the time.

Aminuddin, who is fielded by Amanah, said the Orang Asli had been cheated for far too long and had finally voiced out that “enough is enough”.

“I mingle with the Orang Asli folk and I used to talk to them about their rights, especially their rights to their land.

“I have been brought up together with them as my house here is just next to their villages.

“Their land is sacred to them and they are very sensitive about it.”

Aminuddin said he hoped to win their mandate to fight for their rights in the May 9 election.

“I hope I can get good support from them. So far, 90% of the Orang Asli villages we visited have shown support for us.

“We have spoken to their youths who would go home and educate their parents about the need for change. The Orang Asli youths are our agents of change.” - Mkini