Millions of ringgit may be allocated year in and year out for the development needs of the Orang Asli community, but scores of indigenous people are still drinking contaminated water, every day.

Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (JKOASM) chairperson Tijah Chopil pointed out how there were still Orang Asli who were forced to depend on drains and dirty wells for their drinking water.

“Projects for clean water have been abandoned. Some projects have been completed but are not functional.

“We think that these projects are a waste of money if the government does not monitor them," Tijah ( photo ) said at a press conference in Putrajaya today.

This is one of the reasons why 17 Orang Asli representatives from six states met with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy commissioner (Prevention) Mutafar Ali today to discuss the setting up of a task force to look into these issues.

“The issues currently plaguing the Orang Asli community are most probably due to abuse of power.

“We know the government has given aid to the Orang Asli, with allocations amounting to millionsof ringgit, but there are still many issues at Orang Asli settlements.

“So it’s not that we are denying aid given by the government, but we want these projects to be monitored so that the allocation will reach the target group, that is, the Orang Asli,” Tijah said.

Commenting further on the task force, she said it would give room for the Orang Asli to lodge complaints directly with the MACC.

Mother and child hospitalised over posioned water

“It’s so that the Orang Asli can cooperate (with the MACC). It’s not to condemn any quarters.

“If the Budget allocations are used wisely, it would only be fair to all taxpayers."

She further lamented how information currently published by the media touched only on claims that the Orang Asli’s welfare are taken care of.

“There’s nothing on Orang Asli drinking contaminated water. Yesterday alone, a mother and her child had to be hospitalised for drinking poisoned water.

“No one takes note of such cases,” Tijah lamented.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in his Budget 2016 speech, announced a RM300 million allocation for Orang Asli development.

Among the areas of focus is the education of the Orang Asli children, with RM45 million of the allocation to be spent on supplementary food assistance, pocket money and school transport fares.