States must also give special funds for Orang Asli, says MP

States must also give special funds for Orang Asli, says MP

Ramli Nor, the country’s first Orang Asli MP, hopes states like Perak, Pahang and Johor will request specific allocations for the community.

Ramli Nor
Ramli Nor, MP for Cameron Highlands, is the first Orang Asli to become a member of Parliament.
PETALING JAYA:
The country’s first Orang Asli MP has called on state governments to take a leaf out of the national budget by allocating funds specifically for the community when they table their respective financial plans.

Ramli Nor said state governments would be tabling their respective budgets after the 2026 federal budget was tabled yesterday.

“I urge and hope that every state with Orang Asli communities will request specific allocations for them, especially states like Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Johor, Melaka, and particularly Pahang,” the Cameron Highlands MP said in a podcast tonight.

Ramli, who is also deputy speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, expressed confidence that his home state of Pahang would continue prioritising the community’s needs.

“I can promise and tell you what’s happening — the menteri besar is very concerned. There are all kinds of assistance, especially for the Orang Asli community. So don’t worry, I’m sure Pahang will definitely have it, 100%.”

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the allocation for the Orang Asli communities will be increased to RM412 million in the 2026 budget. The amount is separate from the overall allocation for the Bumiputera community, under which the Orang Asli are also categorised.

Ramli urged the Orang Asli community to take advantage of the infrastructure the government has provided to advance themselves.

“We are being given the opportunity to progress, now we need to seize it,” he said.

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