An Orang Asli community near Bidor, Perak, has broken new ground by presenting to the state authorities a map demarcating the boundaries of their ancestral land.

This is seen as a "positive development" by the community although reservations have been expressed that the map will require official recognition.

Rizuan Tempek from the Semai village of Kampung Chang Sungai Gepai (Kampung Chang) hopes that by identifying the boundaries of their kawasan negerik (ancestral land), his village would have moved one step forward towards claiming ownership and livelihood rights over the 350-acre area.

According to Rizuan, the residents of Kampung Chang began demarcating and documenting the boundaries of their customary land as a result of a dispute in late 2003 with the Perak Agricultural Development Corporation (PSADC) that had targeted the land for development.

"The state Department for Orang Asli Affairs (JHEOA) in their letter on Aug 18, 2004 then asked the villagers to demarcate the boundaries of land that 'had been worked on," Rizuan said when contacted.

Completed late last month after five months of work, copies of the map were sent two weeks ago to Perak Menteri Besar Tajol Rosli Ghazali, PSADC chairperson Mohd Niza Mohd Ghazali, and JHEOA head Nordin Mie.

Expect to hit snag

While official estimates of the area inhabited by the villagers and used for their livelihood is said to be 200 acres, Rizuan places the territory implied by the completed map to measure around 350 acres.

"The map we have come up with includes not just lands that have been planted, but 13 other areas such as grave sites, fruit orchards, water catchment areas, hunting grounds, and 'historical areas," he explained.

Acknowledging the possibility of a snag in getting state authorities to recognise the large area of land claimed by the villagers, Rizuan said the process of determining the actual boundaries would be subject to further negotiation.

"When we set about demarcating the boundaries, we knew that not everything would be immediately recognised. But whether the area is too wide or illogical, these can all be renegotiated and discussed," he said.

"The important thing is that Kampung Chang villagers as well as outsiders are aware of those areas we claim to be our kawasan negerik ."

Agreeing with Rizuan on the matter, Association of Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli (POASM) president Majid Suhut said the demarcation and mapping exercise would prevent state authorities from bulldozing through Orang Asli rights and sentiments to claim their lands as belonging to the state.

Waiting for survey

"This map may not necessarily be recognised (in its totality) by the state authorities, as this is their prerogative and discretion," said Majid when contacted.

"Previously, because of the lack of evidence to prove the Orang Asli's claims, state authorities are prone to declare certain areas as forest reserves, for example, that belong to the state. With this demarcation, at least some things are clarified concerning what is theirs and what is not. This is a positive step," Majid added.

Chief JHEOA officer for southern Perak Nordin Mie also raised the possibility of state authorities refusing to recognise all of the claims of Kampung Chang.

Any negotiations, however, over the boundaries demarcated by Kampung Chang villagers would proceed only after experts engaged by the state authorities had conducted a survey of the land concerned, said Nordin when contacted.

"The PSADC will appoint a surveyor to carry out field work and determine where the Orang Asli land's boundaries lie and where the state's lands are. Meanwhile, we will take their new plan into consideration to determine the PSADC land to be developed," said Nordin, adding that the state government had allotted 1,200 acres to PSADC for development.