Depleting natural resources, customary native land, rights to hunt game, and the lack of medical and educational facilities were the predominant complaints received by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) from Sabah and Sarawak residents over the last few months.

Suhakam complaints and inquiry working group chairperson Prof Mohd Hamdan Adnan said o­ne major complaint was the Orang Asal land issue. Locals claimed that their land was being taken for development purposes without adequate compensation.

Elaborating further, Sarawak-based commissioner Dr Mohammad Hirman Ritom Abdullah said such complaints have been continuously raised with Suhakam since 2001.

He said customary land and resources, compensation, the right to determine their lifestyle, the lack of access roads, health and education facilities, and national registration and voter registration issues mostly affected the Ibans, Penans and Orang Ulus.