PERAK ABORIGINES WANT GREATER RIGHTS TO THEIR LAND

The orang asli (aborigines) of Perak want the state government to recognise their rights to their ancestral land and are calling for an amendment to existing laws governing their jurisdiction.

“Legally, only the Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA) has the purview to decide what development projects take place in the reserve, but we want the Tok Batin to also have a say.

“Although the Tok Batin is usually appointed by the JHEOA director-general, the appointment is usually done with the recommendation of the village,”

“I am confident that the state and Federal government will look into the resolutions. We are not asking for new land, we are only asking for the rights to the areas we are on now,”

“But as far as I know, not a single application has been approved under JHEOA since 1993 except for one area in Kampung Bawong in Sungai Siput, Perak.

“Other orang asli might have also been given titles, but this was through their own individual effort,”

Yayasan Orang Asli Perak chairman Suki Mee