The group claimed the state government had essentially delegated its fiduciary responsibilities for the Orang Asli to two entities – the Pahang Orang Asli Corporation (Oraco) and Enggang Holdings Sdn Bhd – without obtaining the tribe’s consent or consulting them.

“The Jakun indigenous tribes in Pahang always welcome and support initiatives in the environmental, social and economic domains following the ‘free, prior and informed consent’ principle.

“The state government ought to officially gazette our native customary land, inherited through successive generations,” it said in a statement.

Oraco, a statutory body formed by Pahang in 2022 to help spur the Orang Asli’s economic activity, recently took over the management of the community’s commercial replanting projects, which used to be overseen by federal agencies.

Enggang Holdings, on the other hand, is handling the Pahang Peatland Restoration Project, which the Jakun group claims intersects with the tribe’s native customary land.

“The forest provides essential resources and sustains our wellbeing through foraging, hunting and self-sustained agriculture.

“Any disruption to this connection amplifies uncertainty in both the cultural heritage and way of life of the Jakun in Pahang,” it said.

Meanwhile, the group questioned whether Oraco’s main motives were profit or the advancement of Pahang’s indigenous communities.

It claimed the organisation had imposed regulations that were not conducive or profitable for the Jakun, which in turn affected the income of the community.