YOURSAY | 'Govt must act on historical crimes against Orang Asli.'

Flood-hit Orang Asli villagers question ‘missing’ Endau, Mersing reps

Proarte: The flooding is directly or indirectly due to logging, mining and plantation activities in Orang Asli lands.

When will the ongoing environmental terrorism by soulless, money-driven opportunists in cahoots with elites and political leaders, who allow the destruction of their lands and other environmentally sensitive regions, stop once and for all?

They can fool themselves about planting trees after they have logged virgin forests and claim they are contributing to forest cover in Malaysia, but the people are not fooled because they are suffering the horrendous consequences of indiscriminate logging, mining and plantation activities.

Indeed, Orang Asli are treated like “anak tiri” (stepchildren) as they claim. Throughout the history of colonisation of the peninsula by pirates originating from the Indonesian archipelago, who derived rich pickings from their trade in the Straits of Malacca, the Orang Asli have been driven away from the coastal regions. Increasingly they fled to the interiors for their safety.

They were considered sub-human and treated in a humiliating manner by the pirates and their families who even owned Orang Asli slaves. Eventually, slavery was outlawed by the British colonisers.

As the Malay peninsula became more and more populated by successive waves of immigration mainly from China, Indonesia and India, the Orang Asli lands were gradually misappropriated, and the new owners’ land was given legal recognition by the British who were the last and most interventionist of the colonisers.

The British realised the great potential of the peninsula and saw the Chinese as the main drivers of the economy due to their innate business acumen, hard work and intelligence. But they were also a threat to British business hegemony and hence they had to be kept in check by giving the migrants from the Dutch-controlled Indonesian territories sole indigenous status.

The Orang Asli were shockingly granted a separate inferior aboriginal status. They were accorded ancestral land rights but these to our shame have never been respected.

Why they were not categorised as indigenous with ancestral land rights and equal status with the Malays, is one of the many historical crimes against the Orang Asli which must be addressed as a matter of urgency by the Madani unity government.

This was the infamous British policy of divide and rule in full swing. The Chinese and Indians had migrant status but after Merdeka, they were given full citizenship rights which they rightly deserved.

Because of majoritarianism and constitutional amendments over the years, non-Malay citizens have been relegated to a second class tier of citizenship rights. Sadly, the divide-and-rule policy continues with the Orang Asli bearing the brunt of majoritarian rule with its cruel lack of concern for the Orang Asli and the territorial integrity of their lands.

BrownCheetah9376: Endau assemblyperson Alwiyah Talib said her position was more of a “check-and-balance” to the BN-led state government in Johor.

Meanwhile, Mersing MP Islahuddin Abas explained that he has been attending the ongoing parliamentary sessions.

“Based on my question to the government, all assistance matters for flood victims will be coordinated by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) through the district office.”

Excuses, excuses, excuses. I guess the reality of being an opposition MP or assemblyperson is tough compared to the days when Tom, Dick, and Harry were either a minister, deputy ministers or state executive councillors.

GreenKoala4364: Parliament sittings are just an excuse not to visit flood victims when they needed the MP's presence most. Would anyone penalise you, if you missed one or two sessions in Parliament because you attended to flood victims? Purely irresponsible.

The assemblyperson is saying the worse thing, she said her role is to carry out checks and balances for the state government. It sounds like visiting the flood victims is not her priority.

Many Bersatu representatives were selected at the last minute, so they are not keen on the job or are just opportunists to grab positions for pension benefits. Voters must be regretting voting them in.

It’s the voters’ choice, so voters must bear the bad consequences of an irresponsible representative (whom they have voted for).

Anonymous 080: “Parliament will be over next week, and it is still Ramadan." What does Ramadan got to do with helping the needy? Are the YBs (assemblypersons) being paid “gaji buta” (paid for doing nothing or less work) salaries during this period?

The Orang Asli have been the fifth class citizens, it does not help that they have elected representatives who do not take interest in the welfare of the community.

The Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) too had been so predominantly involved in assisting and converting the Orang Asli to Muslims instead of their welfare, believing that God will lead the way. What a shame.

Will the Madani government lead the way or will the many lawyers championing the Orang Asli’s cause do something or do they merely want to “melepaskan batuk ditangga” (to neglect the issue)?

Mosquito YB: Kampong Peta is about 60km off road from the nearest town, Kahang. Once every four or five years, you can see a convoy of four-wheel drive carrying politicians wearing bush jackets, visiting the Orang Asli settlements.

They will bring along with them sugar, flour, eggs, noodles, rice, and probably some chickens to the Orang Asli folk in return for support.

Sokong, sokong dan sokong YB (support the assemblyperson), menang dapat lagi (if we win, you get more) but they won and disappeared from the scene. Who cares about floods and your basic amenities?

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