The opposition has urged the government to fully investigate the deaths of five Orang Asli children in Cameron Highlands last month and make greater efforts to protect the long-term survival of the community.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia pro-tem secretary-general S Arutchelvan said he was alarmed by the government's 'unconcerned attitude' and called for a more concerted approach in tackling health problems of the Orang Asli that stem from poverty and marginalisation.

"We seek answers and we would like to see more effort being made," he said, adding that if international assistance was required, then it must be obtained.

"It is time we see more political will. While much is talked lately about poverty, the Orang Asli community remains one of the poorest community in the country ... changing little despite having lived under five prime ministers," he said in a statement.

The five children from Kampung Pos Terisu, Kampung Jarik Baru, and Kampung Layar in Cameron Highlands died between April 9 to 20 after submitting to bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting.

The government has pointed to rotavirus as the cause of death. The same virus was also said to have resulted in the hospitalisation of 17 other Orang Asli children at the Tanah Rata hospital during the period.

Other causes

Meanwhile, DAP leader Tan Seng Giaw said the government needed to delve deeper to see if there were other causes behind the deaths.

He said if rotavirus was the only cause of death, this raised 'significant' public health concerns as under-nourished children are known to be particularly susceptible.

"We need to know more than just the preliminary tests that showed positive for rotavirus. There may have been simultaneous infection with other bacterium or viruses," said Tan, who is also Kepong member of parliament.

He pointed out that while the culture and the arts of the Orang Asli were being preserved in museums, not enough has been done to help the community in terms of their present health and education.

On Wednesday, Pahang health department teams were deployed to five Orang Asli settlements in Cameron Highlands to ensure that there is no spread of the rotavirus.

The government also announced that it will be setting up temporary clinics at the three villages where the deaths had occurred.

Health teams

According to the New Straits Times today, Cameron Highlands MP SK Devamani said although no new cases had been reported, the teams were assigned to visit the settlements "to ensure that children suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting receive immediate medical attention" and also to discourage anyone from seeking the help of traditional faith healers.

She added that the cooperation of the village headmen would be sought to explain and convince the villagers to get proper medical attention should their children show symptoms of rotavirus infection.

For persons with healthy immune systems, rotavirus is a self-limited illness, lasting for only a few days. But when young children and infants are infected, it often results in severe diarrhoea.

In developed countries, chances of survival are high, but in developing countries where nutrition and sanitation standards are lower, the risk of death is said to be higher. According to the United States' Centre for Disease Control, 600,000 children worldwide die from rotavirus infection annually.