Orang Asli activist Mustafa Along, who was among those arrested, said the warning was aimed at the Kelantan state government.

“We will not hesitate to make more blockades. These arrests will not dampen our spirits,” he told FMT.

Mustafa claimed the Kelantan Forestry Department arrested them to frighten the Orang Asli from taking part in these protests.

“The Forestry Department wants to pressure the Orang Asli by arresting us. This won’t work because we will continue fighting to save the forest. We will never back down,” he said.

Yesterday, Orang Asli Development Department Director Mohd Jamalludin Kasbi was reported as saying his department had not given the authority to any Orang Asli to build the logging blockades.

However, he said, his department would give its support if the Orang Asli’s demands were lawful.

“The move to build these blockades is against the National Forestry Policy and I hope that all 47 of the Orang Asli arrested last Tuesday will return to the right path,” he said.