Back us, we'll back you: Orang Asli tell Anwar

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of Orang Asli leaders today urged Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to champion their cause for recognition under the Federal Constitution.

In return, the leaders said their community would back the PKR supremo in his quest to wrest Putrajaya in the next general election.

The group's spokesman Simpang Suda said Article 153 of the Federal Constitution currently only recognised Malays and natives in Sabah and Sarawak.

"We are natives and we were here in Semenanjung even before the others... we want our rights enhrined in the constitution," he said.

"If Anwar champions our right to be included in the constitution then we will assure him of our community's support," added Simpang who chairs the Orang Asli land action committee in Selangor.

Barred from Parliament

Earlier, Simpang and 27 committee leaders were barred from from entering Parliament by the police despite PKR's Teluk Kemang MP Kamarul Baharin Abbas having applied for permission on their behalf.

Kamarul's special officer Muhammad Faizal Zakaria said he was disappointed with the police's action.

He said the delegation should have been allowed in since they were citizens of Malaysia with the constitutional right to sit in during the proceedings

"Moreover, Kamarul had himself applied for permission for the leaders last week. I don't understand why they were denied entry," he added.

It is learnt that the leaders wanted to hand over a memorandum listing their demands for recognition.

Topping their list of demands was the call to include the term "Orang Asli" in Article 153.

Harakahdaily, which received a copy of the memorandum, noted that other points in the memorandum included:

1. Demand for 10 acres of freehold agriculture land for each Orang Asli. One-quarter acre for housing and another acre of land for a personal orchard as given to Felda settlers.
2. The gazetting of communal land by the state governments of Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak, Kelantan, Kedah, Terengganu and Pahang as provided for under Section 62 of the National Land Code.
3. The gazetting of Orang Asli land under the Orang Asli Act 1954 which include unlimited freedom to source for their needs in communal land which have been gazetted.
   
4. The nomadic Orang Asli and semi-nomads be given unlimited right to source for food and to enjoy vocational education.
5. A review of the role and function of the Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA) which failed to protect the rights of the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and assist in the development of the community. (The memorandum cited that only 10-15% of the positions in JHEOA were filled by the Orang Asli when their original demands had stated 80% of staff should be Orang Asli.)
6. Declaration of a public holiday for the World Indigenous Peoples and Natives Day on Aug 8.

19/10/10