'Arbitrary' and done in 'bad faith' was how Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) described the Kelantan State Forestry Department's decision to block lawyer Siti Kasim from meeting her clients in the Pos Tohoi Orang Asli settlement in Gua Musang, Kelantan.

"The restriction imposed on Siti and other ‘outsiders’, purportedly applied under Section 47 of the National Forestry Act 1984 can only be described as arbitrary and done in bad faith as it is designed to stop the Orang Asli from receiving ‘outside’ assistance in their struggle to protect their customary lands and traditional livelihoods.

"It is also clearly a form of retaliation against Siti for her efforts that had made national news and had put the Kelantan government in bad light," LFL executive director Eric Paulsen said in a statement today.