Historic Orang Asli show of force

The historic Orang Asli protest at Putrajaya today has successfully united the once-scattered community, said Center for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas.

However, Nicholas is skeptical whether the protest - the largest ever by the Orang Asli community - will change the government’s approach towards the community's plight.

 

About 2,000 protesters attempted to gather at the Putrajaya Mosque and march towards the Prime Minister's office to submit two memorandums to demand more representation at the Dewan Negara and state their objections towards proposed amendments to the National Land Act.

The police stopped the group from marching but allowed them to submit the documents to the relevant authorities.

Speaking to Malaysiakini after the protest, Nicholas said Rural Development Minister Shafie Apdal’s promise to consider the Orang Asli’s recommendations on the proposed amendments should be taken with a pinch of salt.

“Look at the language that he was using. He is still talking about ‘tanah rayau’ (roaming land),” he said, referring to Shafie Apdal's comments after he received the memorandum.

“This is untrue. Only a very small number of Orang Asli are nomadic, most settle in one place,” he said.

'Roaming land'

Earlier, Shafie, when speaking to reporters, brushed off the Orang Asli claims that the government was taking away their native land.

“This is about tanah rayau, which is for roaming, so it could be anywhere. They can even claim Putrajaya as their tanah rayau,” he said.

Shafie ( in blue tie ) said his ministry would hold a series of roadshows throughout the peninsula to engage the Orang Asli community and seek their feedback over the proposed National Land Act amendments.

Again, Nicholas expressed doubt if the government was sincere.

“What is a roadshow? They don’t tell the Orang Asli what the actual amendments are and what they mean, but just say, ‘This is what we’re going to do’. It’s like brainwashing.

“Imagine me telling the Malay community how to live their lives, practice their religion and culture. What kind of reaction do you think that will garner?” asked Nicholas, who heads the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns.

Objective achieved

Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Perak (JKOAP) secretary Tijah Yok Chophil ( right ) told reporters that the government’s policies reflect a total disconnect between the Orang Asli community and the government.

“Government officers just sit in their air-conditioned rooms and does not understand the daily struggles of the Orang Asli,” she said.

Despite the evasive answers by the minister, some activists believe that the protest had achieved its purpose and the government will think twice before bulldozing through with laws and policies affecting the Orang Asli.

Another protest coordinator Lena Hardy described the protest as a show of strength to prove that the Orang Asli were willing to stand up and be counted.

“Whether this will change the amendments, we will have to wait and see. But it’s a good start and they have made an impact,” she said.

‘Not protesting, but sightseeing’

Uncharacteristically, the authorities took a soft approach towards the protestors today with the police attempting to usher them away from the Prime Minister's Department building and to an auditorium at the Rural Development Ministry building some 500 meters away.

Instead of the usual band of riot police and water cannons, the protestors were feted to a free lunch and a dialogue session with the minister and the Orang Asli Affairs Department.

Eventually, those who were lured to the auditorium regrouped with the other protestors.

The Orang Asli activists today were also riled up with Shafie's comments to the press, where he suggested that the thousands of protesters were actually in Putrajaya for a holiday.

“This is not a protest…many of them are just here because it’s the school holidays and they’re visiting Putrajaya. Some even took photos with me,” said Shafie, while beaming.