Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (JKOASM), a non-governmental organisation representing indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia, today submitted a protest memorandum to the Rural and Regional Development Ministry concerning land rights of the community.

JKOASM coordinator Tijah Yok Chopil said the memorandum was to protest the government's policy of awarding land titles pertaining to native customary land, which was passed on Dec 4 last year.

"The government only focused on implementing the policy but not on getting the views of the Orang Asli at various levels. What was done was only campaigns to make the Orang Asli accept the policy," she told a press conference here.

She said the memorandum was earlier handed over to the ministry in Putrajaya and was received by a ministry official.

Tijah added that said JKOASM also rejected the findings of a workshop held on April 6 to review the policy and any amendments to be made to Act 134 of the Orang Asli Act 1954, scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in June.

She said JKOASM, which represented some 30,000 Orang Asli in six states - Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka - wanted any policies targetted at the Orang Asli to put the community's interest first in line with the 1Malaysia concept.

- Bernama