Strong denials over 'NGOs paid to incite Orang Asli land issues' claim

 

Orang Asli activist organisations have strongly denied the claim by Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) director-general Sapiah Mohd Nor that there are indigenous NGOs being ‘paid’ by external parties to deliberately trigger land issues involving the community.

“We are getting together a group of OA (Orang Asli) NGOs to hold a press conference to rebut these false claims.

“Among those who reject the claims are the Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (Joas), Persatuan Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (Poasm), Jaringan Kampung OA Kelantan (JKOAK), Jaringan Kampung OA N9 (JKOANS), and the Jaringan Kampung OA Semenanjung Malaysia (JKOASM),” said Negeri Sembilan Orang Asli villages network deputy chairperson Zurdi Baharu.

Another OA leader who declined to be named said the Jakoa director-general appeared to be unperturbed that she would be probed for making general accusations without naming names or furnishing proof of her claims.

Yesterday, without naming either the NGOs or the external parties, Sapiah (above) told Utusan Malaysia that the NGOs involved admitted they would lose funds if they did not do so.

“We do not deny there are often honest NGOs who meet Jakoa to discuss various issues, but certain parties are hired to create hot issues,” she alleged.

She claimed the matter was brought to her attention during an engagement session conducted by Jakoa.

“They were silent when I gave the briefing but after the session was over, an NGO activist met me in person, perhaps because they were shy to discuss these stories openly.

“From the ‘heart to heart’ discussion, then many secret stories were revealed about how they are actively stirring anger against Jakoa and inciting Orang Asli to hate the government,” she claimed.

Last month, Poasm chief Majid Suhut said the government needed to resolve the issue of gazetting reserve land specifically for the OA.

He said more than 50 percent of 400 OA villages studied by his group had the status of forest reserves and have not been gazetted.

“The situation has been going on since the country achieved independence and it greatly worries the OA because the fear is that the authorities can confiscate the land at any time,” he said.

No intention to cooperate, no basic facilities

Zurdi said every time there is a change of government, OA will be politicised, supposedly to protect their rights, but the reality on the ground is there are more issues cropping up with no solution in sight.

“The government should support NGOs and OA activists who really want to help solve OA issues.

“So far, there is no intention to cooperate. Instead, they want to restrict it more even while Jakoa and the government until now have not been able to provide what OA should get in terms of basic facilities,” he said.

Land issues are among the most commonly cited problems by the community and on Sept 30, OA villagers from three settlements lodged a police report claiming land encroachment activities have been rampant near their settlements.

They represent about 1,000 Kelantan OA of the Temiar tribe from Pos Ber - who live in Kampung Cedal, Kampung Ber, and Kampung Kerbok - as well as Kampung Mendrod and Kampung Haed of Pos Brooke.

Orang Asli legal expert Bah Tony (Amani Williams-Hunt) told Malaysiakini last year that the basic problem was no proper recognition of OA land rights, resulting in numerous legal disputes.

“Act 134 is a Federal legislation that provides for gazetting of Orang Asli areas as Orang Asli areas or as an Orang Asli reserve but this is at the discretion of the state government because the land is under the jurisdiction of the state government.

“As the wording of the article does not make it something that is mandatory, the state can choose whether they want to protect Orang Asli areas or not.

“Land is a scarce commodity and subject to competition, and the state sees it, perhaps, (as being) more beneficial to give land for purposes that can bring more direct economic benefit to the state rather than give it to the Orang Asli,” Tony said. - Mkini