Orang Asli land belongs to Kelantan gov't, says PAS MP

Land that the Gua Musang Orang Asli are fighting for belongs to the Kelantan state government, said Kota Bharu PAS MP Takiyuddin Hassan.

"The problem now is that state government land is for logging, with permits issued by the Forestry Department, but some Orang Asli backed up by several NGOs claim that is Orang Asli land, when in fact it is state land, which is why they set up blockades to stop loggers," he said at a press conference in Gombak today.

Yesterday some 200 Gua Musang Orang Asli from the Temiar community descended on Putrajaya to seek the federal government's help to ban loggers and plantation firms from their ancestral land.

Takiyuddin, however, said there is no provision for ancestral land in Kelantan, only for “kawasan rayau” (foraging land).

"In Kelantan there is no ancestral land for the Orang Asli, there has never been (a provision) in the Kelantan's land laws and it has never been gazetted.

"(However) the state government has gazetted the Orang Asli's ‘kawasan rayau’ where they can farm, rear animals, and so on.

"The government will not give permission to companies for logging and such in areas classified as ‘kawasan rayau’," he said.

As for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's pledge to the Temiars (photo) that he would discuss their plight with the Kelantan state government, Takiyuddin said there should be no problem with such talks being held.

The Temiars have been fighting against loggers for years, and claim the PAS-led Kelantan state government is insensitive to their struggles.

The Temiars had also won a court battle in January last year, in which a magistrate court ruled that loggers could not encroach on land surrounding the Orang Asli village of Pos Balar.

However, activists said the court order has only led to logging activities in other areas of Gua Musang.

Most recently, a Musang King durian plantation company had allegedly demolished a blockade set up by the Temiar community on Aug 4. -Mkini