The government versus the indigenous people

“We don’t call them elephants. To us, they are known as Atok or Orang Besar, because they lived in and roamed this forest longer than we have." 

– Ramli (Temiar villager)

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P Waythamoorthy's call for the police to release three Temiar Orang Asli after a clash with loggers is welcomed, but ultimately this means very little for natives who have been on the receiving end of the malfeasance of the state for decades.

If you go to the Facebook page of the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) and read about the events that led up to the arrests, you will understand what these marginalised people are up against. 

We talk of these “loggers” as a shadowy threat, but the reality is that behind these loggers are corporate entities with deep ties to the ruling establishment. This is why these loggers are confident that the state security apparatus will be on their side when the chips are down.

It is wonderful that the three Orang Asli men were freed, but does anyone really believe the police when they claim that they were taken to record their statements? Were the people supporting the loggers taken to record their statements too?

Of course not. Because if someone like Waythaymoorthy (below) did not draw attention to their plight, they would have spent more time being illegally detained, instead of being released to rebuild the blockade. In this instance, the political apparatus helped these Orang Asli, which makes it more of an aberration than a norm.

The incident report posted by the COAC points to a self-described “toughie” named Afiq, who has been responsible for the on-the-ground operations since late last year. 

You would have met these types before. For instance, when the Seafield temple “riots” broke out, there were references to outsourced toughs under the employ of corporate interests to do the dirty work of removing obstacles.

Remember when the state security apparatus had to backpedal on the narrative that “Indians” had caused the trouble? Deputy inspector-general of police Noor Rashid Ibrahim claimed: “Perhaps the party which wanted to take over (the land) hired a group of Malay men to facilitate the process of taking the land. There is a possibility those (hired) were gangsters and for sure, the group of Indians tried to defend (the temple against the incursion). 

“I have to explain this because it has become a sensitive issue and I don't want any quarter to take advantage. This is not related to a racial clash.”

This is the way things are done when corporate and political power trample on the rights of citizens. Therefore, when politicians are aghast at the environmental destruction caused by “unscrupulous” business practices, you have to ask who enabled these people in the first place? When you read about rivers contaminated or illegal dumping of chemical waste, do not for one moment think all this happens in a vacuum.

How would you react if someone like Afiq had the state security apparatus backing him, while you, a taxpaying citizen, were hauled up for defending your rights?

COAC coordinator Colin Nicholas (above) claimed, “the loggers were bold because of alleged support by the Perak state government and that logging had also been hastily approved for the neighbouring Pos Piah area.” 

This is probably true because people who commit illegal acts, especially against marginalised communities, do so, normally, under the protection of powerful bureaucrats who shield them from legal repercussions.

Wayathamoorthy should discover why logging permits are secret. Why was there no consultation done with the villagers before the permits were issued? 

What is the state executive council doing on behalf of the villagers to ensure that their rights are protected, and not the commercial interest of the loggers who have no qualms about relying on the state to further marginalise the Orang Asli?

People are often amazed at the institutional corruption perpetrated by the Umno regime, but what does it say about the system under Harapan when logging permits are “rahsia” (secret)? Let me guess. Harapan politicians are going to blame the former Umno regime, right?

When minions of the state claim that all is in accordance with standard operating procedure, and the Orang Asli are handcuffed and deprived of their liberty, what does this tell you about the promise of a New Malaysia?

When you have the menteri besar of Perak - in the Cunex blockade (below) - implying that the natives fighting for their rights are encroachers, you understand the kind of systemic injustice the Orang Asli communities face. 

The menteri besar also claimed that weapons brought by the authorities were for their personal safety and not to intimidate the Orang Asli. Who do you think is more of a threat? The Orang Asli or the loggers who have the backing of the state security apparatus and the political apparatus?

Why does the state get away with this? All you have to do is head over to the Facebook page of the COAC, for example, or the other numerous NGOs that attempt to shine a light on these travesties. There you will discover communities in Malaysia that are cut off from the privileges of the urban elite. 

You will discover why it is easy for the state, with its foundation being racial and religious politics, to abuse communities where there is no spotlight to draw attention to governmental and corporate malfeasance.

You will discover a way of life that is open to abuse by minions of the state for profit and religion. Someone once said to me, many years ago, that you could do anything with these people and the majority of Malaysians would not know and most probably would not care.

Can you imagine if you were part of this community? No fancy news portals to vent your frustration with the government of the day. Your family not safe from the state security apparatus, which could take on you at any time. The women in your community fall prey to the apparatchiks of the state that would forcibly give them contraceptive injections, or the children of your community become the prey of loggers who could commit rape and other types of sexual exploitation.

Who could forget about the state converting you without your knowledge or permission? Literacy is not a life skill these people rely on, which makes them easy prey for the bureaucracy and corporations to manipulate and subjugate them through official documentation.

As an Orang Asli activist once said to me, New Malaysia, what’s that, boss?

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S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. A retired barrister-at-law, he is one of the founding members of the National Patriots Association. - Mkini