In his Facebook post, Najib said: “Yes, we know. Not everyone is as clever as the Perak Menteri Besar who holds an Australian degree. But I hear others have a different opinion on this issue.
“But we need to recognise these faces and know their names. Actors.”
On Friday, Faizal told the Orang Asli in Perak to stop expecting government assistance and “advance on their own” and asked the community to “look for alternatives” to boost their “village economy”.
Najib said before the 14th general election, PH had made trips to Orang Asli villages promising to look after their welfare and provide more assistance.
He pointed out that the Barisan Nasional government had carried out a lot of initiatives for the Orang Asli.
These include road access for 720 villagers, power supply for 660 villagers, clean water supply for 701 villagers and 18,000 units of public housing for the poor.
“Others (programmes) were in various stages of implementation and upgrading work. We also prioritised education for the Orang Asli folk because it is only through education that they will be able to break the vicious poverty cycle,” Najib said.
The Pekan MP said the previous government had also offered dormitories and places at institutions of higher learning for the Orang Asli community, and those who succeeded were further given a one-off initiative worth RM3,000 to help with the repayment of their National Higher Education Fund Corporation loans.
He said 100 Orang Asli children had been sponsored by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) to further their studies. “This does not include transport fare, free food and boarding facilities.”
Najib said the Orang Asli community had often tried to progress and improve their living conditions with appropriate assistance and policies.
“Pakatan Harapan is not just failing to fulfil its promises but the present government has begun insulting them.
“This is what happens when they are only interested in votes and not sincerely trying to understand the needs of the people and the Orang Asli communities.”
Several activists had also criticised Faizal over his remarks on the Orang Asli.
Among them was Siti Kasim, a vocal Orang Asli activist and member of the Malaysian Bar Council’s Committee on Orang Asli Rights, who told FMT yesterday that Faizal should go down to the ground and see how things are before “insulting” the Orang Asli.
“‘Culture of expecting outsiders to provide items and help them’? What is this? The Orang Asli are the most self-sustainable people in comparison to other societies. They can survive even if they had no money.
“The continued destruction of the forest on their ancestral land aided by the authorities is the main problem. Indigenous people can’t choose their own way of life, get control over their own education, healthcare and so on, unless their lands are secure.
“That’s the overwhelming priority. All other issues are secondary. If their land rights are recognised, then tribal people thrive,” Siti said.
She also reminded Faizal that Malaysia is a signatory of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Undrip), which dictates the country has a primary obligation to ensure human rights commitments are met.