More than half of the Orang Asli reserve land in the Peninsula has yet to be gazetted, according to Rural and Regional Development Minister Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin today.

He said a total of 50,008 hectares of land has been identified and approved by state governments as Orang Asli reserve land.

"Out of this figure, a total of 30,426 hectares has yet to be gazetted," he added in a written parliamentary written reply to Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera).

Of the eight states concerned, Pahang has the largest Orang Asli reserve land - 15,383 hectares - which is pending approval, followed by Perak (7,510 hectares), Kelantan (3,954 hectares), Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Johor, Melaka and Terengganu.

Abdul Aziz said the authority to gazette land lies with state governments and therefore his ministry cannot ascertain when this would be done.

Nonetheless, he said the ministry also undertook the responsibility to expedite the process of gazetting the land such as assisting in the measurement of the concerned plots.

"The ministry has taken the initiative to carry out and expedite land measurement works with the appointment of 41 surveyors. Currently there are 14,367 hectares of land in the measurement process," he added.

Work together

Commenting on the issue, Ismail Sabri said the state governments and ministry should work together in order to expedite the gazetting process.

"I urge the state governments, especially Pahang, to give due attention to the Orang Asli reserve land to recognise and protect the indigenous community's rights," the Bera MP told malaysiakini when met later.

"When we are concerned about Malay reserve land, we should also be concerned about Orang Asli reserve land. I am worried that after 50 years there will be no more Orang Asli land if we don't address this issue now," he added.

Citing Tasik Bera in Pahang as an example, he said many development projects have affected the rights of the indigenous community there while the community is also generally naive about their rights.

"The community has been staying there for decades and have worked on the land, however legally they have no right to it," said the backbencher, whose constituency encompasses Tasik Bera.

Apart from gazetting the land, Ismail Sabri also urged state government to educate and assist the community in developing the land.