Orang Asli group unhappy with explanations on proposed constitutional amendment

 

Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Nor during an engagement session with members of the Orang Asli community in Kuala Betis, Gua Musang, Kelantan, yesterday. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The Kelantan Orang Asli Villages Network’s chairman has expressed dissatisfaction with the engagement sessions regarding the proposed constitutional amendment on community land ownership, which is set to be tabled in Parliament in 2027.

In a statement, Mustafa Along questioned Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Nor’s claim that 90% of the Orang Asli community have agreed and provided positive feedback during engagement sessions regarding the proposed constitutional amendment.

The explanations provided were very technical and difficult for the villagers to understand,

 Mustafa said in a statement.

This was evident as many people asked questions while trying to fill out forms distributed by the secretariat, which clearly indicated a lack of understanding (about the amendments) among the attendees. 

He also said the Q&A session ended in less than 10 minutes, with only two representatives from the Orang Asli community able to ask questions.

Mustafa said the network believed the engagement sessions were not conducted transparently in line with the principles of free, prior, and informed consent.

Individuals have the right to self-determination as stipulated in Article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,

 he added.

In a Bernama report yesterday, Ramli, who is also the sole Orang Asli MP, said 219,000 Orang Asli had expressed their desire for the amendments to address the land ownership issue.

The Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker said the majority of the Orang Asli reside in dispersed locations across Kelantan, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Terengganu.

Therefore, it can be said that 90% of them agree in principle, which is a significant proportion,

 he told reporters at a gathering for the Kelantan/Terengganu regions in Kuala Betis, Gua Musang, Kelantan.

Besides Gua Musang in Kelantan, Ramli said similar engagement sessions had been held in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Pahang, Perak, Johor and Kedah. - FMT