Land gazetted as "sultanate land" will not become the personal property of the Johor ruler, Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said.
Instead, said Onn Hafiz, the land will be protected by the Johor ruler to prevent such land from being abused.
"His Majesty will be the custodian of the reserve land to protect the rights and interests of the Orang Asli in Johor.
"The Orang Asli in Johor can use and enjoy forest produce as specified under the Orang Asli Act 1954," he said in a statement.
Onn Hafiz (above) said this in response to complaints about the state government's plans to turn Orang Asli reserves in Johor into "sultanate land".
Sultan: To avoid misuse of land
On March 16, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar urged the Johor state government to classify all Orang Asli settlements and reserves in the state as sultanate land to avoid the land being misused.
The Johor ruler said this was necessary because some Orang Asli had turned state forest reserves into large-scale oil palm and rubber plantations.
Orang Asli reserves are protected under the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954, which states that such land cannot be alienated or disposed of, except for the Orang Asli who live on such land.
State governments, however, can revoke such land status.
Meanwhile, under Section 2 of Johor's Sultanate Lands Enactment, land classified as sultanate lands belongs to the ruler and is not considered state property.
The enactment also provides that no part of the sultanate land can be sold, leased, or disposed of except with the sultan's written permission.
According to Onn Hafiz, the status and settlements of the Orang Asli in Johor have been protected since the time of Sultan Abu Bakar and prior to the existence of the Aboriginal Peoples Act of 1954.
"The state government hopes that no one will try to challenge (the policy) nor confuse the Orang Asli further. Do not try to misrepresent the government's noble efforts.
"Anyone who needs more clarification and information can reach out to the Johor Orang Asli Development Department," he said.
On April 2, Johor Network of Orang Asli Villages (JPOAJ) chairperson Dolah Tekoi (above) objected to the state government's plan, arguing that Orang Asli reserves were already protected under the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 and the National Land Code - laws which applies nationwide.
Dolah argued that it was not true that all Orang Asli who used their reserves for plantations were being exploited by outsiders.
He said that some Orang Asli used the reserves for plantations to sustain themselves. - Mkini
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