Tengku Razaleigh, better known as “Ku Li”, was responding to the recent logging blockade at the Balah Permanent Forest Reserve (HSK) in Gua Musang, which has seen the arrest of 48 Orang Asli.

“I think the state government should take action, not the federal government.

“For me as an MP, we can only voice our views to protect the Orang Asli community,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the Umno general assembly at PWTC.

Ku Li acknowledged that the Orang Asli community have the right to set up the blockade but pointed out that they shouldn’t have taken the law into their own hands.

“I think they (Orang Asli) have valid reasons for doing that. But, they should have asked the police instead rather than taking the law into their own hands.”

Ku Li also expressed sympathy towards the Orang Asli community in the state which are currently living in harsh conditions.

“We sympathise because it’s very difficult for them to survive.

“Their water is dirty and the loggers have been destroying their plants and kampung (villages) indiscriminately.”

The state government issued a freeze order on logging activities in the Balah permanent forest reserve after 200 villagers formed a blockade to prevent lorries from transporting extracted timber out of the reserve.

But the Kelantan Forestry Department and the police removed the blockade on Tuesday before arresting the activists.