The Malaysian Insight

THE Orang Asli want a stronger and more fulfilling role in caring for the environment, rather than just being helpers in forest preservation.

The community said the government’s plan to rope them into nature conservation should at least place them in a win-win situation.

This was in reference to Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz’s announcement that RM450 million in the Budget 2022 will be allocated to various environmental initiatives.

This would include programmes to strengthen the involvement of the Orang Asli community as biodiversity guardians of forest areas, through the additional recruitment of up to 1,000 patrollers.

Former vice-president of the Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia (Joas) Yusri Ahon hopes the role given to Orang Asli will not be a powerless duty.

He is afraid that it would merely be a puppet position to rubber stamp government orders.

“They may appoint Orang Asli to be in the forest department, but as a ‘yes man’ to support the authorities’ decision without thinking.

“This proposal and allocation to Orang Asli cannot just be mere wages, not able to decide what is best for the forest and the community.

“My opinion is that it is more reasonable to set up a special body for the Orang Asli to govern and care for the environment,” he said.

Another resident from Kg Sg Bumbun in Pulau Carey, Selangor, speaking on condition of anonymity said it is unheard of to use Orang Asli as biodiversity guardians.

“I have never known of such a plan as it’s always us doing the role to take care of the forest,” he said.

“We even had to pay to protest to let the forests stay,” the Orang Asli said, referring to the controversial events of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR).

The Selangor state government had wanted to degazette at least 537ha of the forest reserve – which contains Orang Asli settlements – for mixed development.

Orang Asli and lawyer Amani Williams Hunt Abdullah from Kg Ampang Woh in Tapah, Perak, said he wishes to see the government do a land survey.

“This would solve the land issues and encroachment claims the Orang Asli community faced often.

“When there is no land survey, the land is not gazetted and not reserved, and there is no land protection for the community,” he said.

Amani is affectionately known as “Bah Tony” in his village in Kg Ampang Woh in Tapah, Perak.

His father, Peter Darell Rider Williams-Hunt, was the late adviser to the aborigines in Malaysia shortly after World War II.

Amani has been active in advocating for the rights of Orang Asli. He asked the government to give further details of the recruitment of the Orang Asli community in the programme.

“What sort of involvement? If it is just recruiting them as personnel in whatever programme, then it is only a benefit in terms of employment.

“What is the mechanism and how would it trickle down to the Orang Asli? Can they be directly involved?” he asked.

Fair income

For Raman Pahat, the tok batin of Kg Orang Asli Pulau Kempas in Banting, Selangor, the government proposal was well received because the community wanted to advance environmental care.

“We support this because we are familiar with the forest and we teach our kids to love the forest, but we are concerned about the role or the extent of the role we will be given,” he said.

He gave an example of a programme by civil society groups Global Environment Centre (GEC) and Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC).

“Their programme in my village is very good. While we plant trees, it also encourages economic growth so that we have money to continue.

“Conservation is not free and we will need to benefit from it too,” Pahat said.

COAC director Colin Nicholas said that a good programme is not about employing the Orang Asli and giving them income for their work.

He said it should be giving the Orang Asli complete ownership and removing their dependency on any organisation.

“Agriculture is a way for Orang Asli to get out of poverty, but over the years, their involvement in government schemes is actually making them worse off.

“Monies are channelled to agencies such as the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).

“Any programme is good if the Orang Asli is in charge and they control the project,” Nicholas said. – November 2, 2021.