Jaringan Orang SeAsal Malayia (JOAS) said it was disappointed with state authorities who are not concerned about the Orang Asli communities under their administration.
“They (forestry department) said they have discussed with the penghulu and Tok Batin but to me, why didn’t they talk to the Orang Asli directly?
“The penghulu and Tok Batin are ‘appointed’ by the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) and are not the true voices of the indigenous people who were affected by the issue,” said Zurdi Baharu, who is Peninsular Malaysia JOAS deputy president.
Zurdi also reminded the forestry department and state authorities that they should instead focus their resources on something more important, such as helping victims of recent floods and being prepared for more heavy rain and floods.
“They should focus on what’s really important for the people especially with the recent floods, instead of wasting their resources against Orang Asli who are only trying to defend their land from rampant logging activities that are also destroying the environment,” she said in a statement today.
JOAS also expressed its concern for the five Orang Asli who were arrested on Monday at Simpang Petei, Gua Musang, following the dismantling of the blockade there.
“They were only trying to defend their ancestral lands – which are a source of livelihood, food sources. It is the very land that they have occupied for generations,” Zurdi said, adding that the arrest of two freelance journalists hired by Channel News Asia to make a documentary on the massive deforestation in Kelantan was also unnecessary.
She called on the forestry department and Kelantan government to abide by the recent court verdict which ruled the dismantling of the blockade by logging companies as illegal, and work towards solving the Orang Asli’s issues and claims.
“As we already know, the magistrate’s court had rejected the company’s application to demolish the Orang Asli’s blockade, and has ruled in favour of the Orang Asli as the rightful owners of the land.”
The Kelantan forestry department has been carrying out an operation to dismantle blockades set up by the Orang Asli since Monday. Another blockade was dismantled yesterday with 16 Orang Asli detained, but they were released as soon as the dismantling operation was completed.
Suhakam, NGOs slam Kelantan’s latest clampdown on Orang Asli
2 journalists arrested for covering Orang Asli protest in Kelantan