Orang Asli submit memo on customary land rights to Zahid

PUTRAJAYA: Hundreds of Orang Asli protesters gathered outside the rural and regional development ministry here today urging the government to urgently recognise Orang Asli customary land rights.

They submitted a memorandum to deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi calling for formal recognition of Orang Asli land as customary ancestral land (tanah adat) under established common law principles, rather than relying solely on existing administrative gazettement.

The memorandum was received by one of Zahid’s officers.

Zahid also heads the rural and regional development ministry, which is responsible for overseeing the welfare and development of the Orang Asli.

The organisers of the gathering, including environmental group Peka, and Greenpeace, said only about 20% of land recognised by the government as Orang Asli land has been formally reserved, describing this as a long-standing policy failure.

Peka secretary-general Vimala Raghavan urged the government to convene a consultation within one week of receiving the memorandum.

Vimala called for the meeting to include representatives from all 19 Orang Asli tribes in Peninsular Malaysia, along with their legal representatives.

A representative from Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia, identified only as Ismail, said much of the community’s customary land has been allocated to companies approved by state governments, leaving communities increasingly vulnerable.

“The government must pay full and urgent attention to ensure Orang Asli communities are not oppressed in their own country,” he said.

The participants said they would escalate their actions if there is no meaningful response within a week.

They said a larger mobilisation would be organised should the government fail to follow through on its commitments.