PUTRAJAYA: More than 1,000 Orang Asli today staged a peaceful protest at Putrajaya against a recently passed land policy which they claim is unfair to them.
The elders of the three main communities – Senoi, ProtoMalay and Negrito – and 18 sub-communities said the policy ignored the fundamental rights of the indigenous people.
“We are asking the government to adhere to the UN declaration on the rights of indigenous people," said Jenita Engi, spokesperson for the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns.
“Malaysia had signed the declaration twice but had yet to implement the policies,” she told FMT.
Jenita said groups from Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Malacca had lend support and took part in the peaceful protest which started at 2pm.
Their initial plan to march towards the Prime Minister's Department was however halted by the police who redirected the marchers to the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
The police had also asked the marchers to remove their banners which called for their land to be left alone. Some of the protesters were dressed in the traditional wear.
At the ministry, a delegation of five Orang Asli was allowed to submit their two memorandums to Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
The first memorandum was to protest the land policy which was passed by the National Land council last December while the second was for a new senator in Dewan Negara to replace the present 'Umno proxy'.
Government gives assurance
After receiving the memorandums, Shafie in an impromptu press conference assured the Orang Asli delegates that the government has always looked out for the welfare of the community.
Meanwhile in Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that the government will look into the grouses of the Orang Asli.
“If they are unhappy, they can submit their views on their grouses and we will scrutinise them and if there are any proposition which is reasonable, we will do what is necessary,” he said.
Earlier 13 busloads of Orang Asli arrived at Putrajaya at about noon to take part in the protest and soon some of the top organisers were asked to meet with Shafie so that the memorandum can be handed over privately.
“The government does not want a commotion at Putrajaya,” one of the organisers told FMT.
However the organisers stood firm with their wish to march to the PM's Department to handover their memorandum.
Center for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas said that this was the biggest Orang Asli gathering in history.
Natives aware of their rights
In April 2002, the Shah Alam High Court judge Mohd Nor Ahmad ruled that the Temuan community had native title rights under common law over their lands.
Four defendants – the Selangor government, United Engineers Malaysia (UEM) Berhad, Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) and the federal government – were ordered to pay compensation to the Temuan landowners.
UEM and MHA also had to pay damages for trespassing on Temuan land.
The court ruled that 38 acres of land taken from the Temuan for the construction of the Nilai-Banting highway linking with the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 1995 was illegal.
In recent years, the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns has closely followed developments in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The Orang Asli in the peninsula are now more aware of their right. For them the main issue is land," said Jenita.
"We have a network among the indigenous people in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. We share issues and find common solutions.
“It has helped the Orang Asli communities in the peninsula better understand their rights and worth,” she added.
FMT
17/03/10
The elders of the three main communities – Senoi, ProtoMalay and Negrito – and 18 sub-communities said the policy ignored the fundamental rights of the indigenous people.
“We are asking the government to adhere to the UN declaration on the rights of indigenous people," said Jenita Engi, spokesperson for the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns.
“Malaysia had signed the declaration twice but had yet to implement the policies,” she told FMT.
Jenita said groups from Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Malacca had lend support and took part in the peaceful protest which started at 2pm.
Their initial plan to march towards the Prime Minister's Department was however halted by the police who redirected the marchers to the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.
The police had also asked the marchers to remove their banners which called for their land to be left alone. Some of the protesters were dressed in the traditional wear.
At the ministry, a delegation of five Orang Asli was allowed to submit their two memorandums to Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
The first memorandum was to protest the land policy which was passed by the National Land council last December while the second was for a new senator in Dewan Negara to replace the present 'Umno proxy'.
Government gives assurance
After receiving the memorandums, Shafie in an impromptu press conference assured the Orang Asli delegates that the government has always looked out for the welfare of the community.
Meanwhile in Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that the government will look into the grouses of the Orang Asli.
“If they are unhappy, they can submit their views on their grouses and we will scrutinise them and if there are any proposition which is reasonable, we will do what is necessary,” he said.
Earlier 13 busloads of Orang Asli arrived at Putrajaya at about noon to take part in the protest and soon some of the top organisers were asked to meet with Shafie so that the memorandum can be handed over privately.
“The government does not want a commotion at Putrajaya,” one of the organisers told FMT.
However the organisers stood firm with their wish to march to the PM's Department to handover their memorandum.
Center for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas said that this was the biggest Orang Asli gathering in history.
Natives aware of their rights
In April 2002, the Shah Alam High Court judge Mohd Nor Ahmad ruled that the Temuan community had native title rights under common law over their lands.
Four defendants – the Selangor government, United Engineers Malaysia (UEM) Berhad, Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) and the federal government – were ordered to pay compensation to the Temuan landowners.
UEM and MHA also had to pay damages for trespassing on Temuan land.
The court ruled that 38 acres of land taken from the Temuan for the construction of the Nilai-Banting highway linking with the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 1995 was illegal.
In recent years, the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns has closely followed developments in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The Orang Asli in the peninsula are now more aware of their right. For them the main issue is land," said Jenita.
"We have a network among the indigenous people in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. We share issues and find common solutions.
“It has helped the Orang Asli communities in the peninsula better understand their rights and worth,” she added.
FMT
17/03/10
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