Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam president and lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, who represents the villagers, described the discussion in Damansara Damai as "unfruitful" and said they decided to wait for Anwar's return from an event in Negri Sembilan so that Juliana Jazlin Ismail could appeal to him personally.
"It was a very unfruitful discussion. In the end, Jakoa told us that if we wanted to reclaim the land, we should file a lawsuit.
"If Jakoa doesn't help, then who will help the Orang Asli? How can they tell us to go to court?" Rajesh told the New Straits Times.
He said taking the matter to court could take at least five years, with the case potentially going through the High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal Court.
"Telling them to go to court is irresponsible because they don't have that kind of time. Some of them no longer have homes.
"There's a six-year-old child without a roof over her head," he said.
New Straits Times checks found about 20 Orang Asli villagers and their lawyers outside Anwar's residence in Bandar Sungai Long.
The villagers are seeking the return of their ancestral land in Kampung Sungai Cot, Maran, which they claim was sold by the Pahang government to a developer in 2015.
They alleged that several homes had since been demolished and burned in efforts to evict them from land their community has occupied for generations.
On July 17, after walking for two days from their village, the group arrived at Anwar's residence in Bandar Sungai Long, seeking federal intervention over the issue.
On the same day, Anwar said he would raise the matter with the Pahang government while urging all parties not to politicise the issue and to allow room for a fair and lawful solution.
Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah has also offered land in Kuala Wau to displaced Kampung Sungai Cot Orang Asli families, but the community later declined the offer. - NST
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