“I think they (Putrajaya) have to find out the reality on the ground by meeting affected villagers instead of planning more and more policies which the Orang Asli is not benefiting from,” he told FMT.
Nicholas said the Betau regroupment scheme was a good example, where villagers collected water trickling out from water treatment plants. “You need constant water supply, not water treatment plants,” he said.
The 2017 budget provides an allocation of RM222 million for water treatment projects in 42 Orang Asli villages.
“The thing is, all these villages have water treatment plants but they have no regular water supply,” Nicholas said.
Betau village was one of the first major regroupment schemes under the government’s initiative to develop Orang Asli villages in 1979, he said.
“They were promised housing, electricity and water. But many of these promises weren’t fulfilled, especially regular water supply.”
Nicholas blamed extensive logging in the nearby forests for the lack of steady water supply.
As forests were cleared for agricultural purposes, it had destroyed the main water catchment area for the villagers, he said.
Nicholas said that instead of relying on water catchment areas in forests, the Betau river should have been relied on as the main source of water.
“A proper dam or a water treatment plant at the Betau river should be able to supply water for the villagers.
“The money should have been channeled to building a water treatment plant there.”