The government must immediately revoke provisional leases or licences issued to private companies for logging activities and large-scale plantations in Sarawak's native Penan forest areas.

This will help safeguard the customary and socio-economic rights of the Penan, said Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) spokesperson Meenakshi Raman.

She said the clearing of forest land for large-scale plantations such as oil palm estates was being carried out without due regard for the rights and culture of the Penan, whose traditional livelihood depends on forest resources.

"Extensive and indiscriminate logging and the looming threat of total clearance of forest areas for plantations in and around Penan settlements have unjustly deprived them of their rights to free access and usage of their lands and resources for their very sustenance," she told malaysiakini.

"We call on the Malaysian and Sarawak governments and relevant authorities to stop issuing the leases and licences, and revoke existing ones with immediate effect."

FoEI claimed that the Malaysian government has failed to fulfill its promises to provide financial assistance and upgrade basic facilities and amenities to improve the standard of living of the Penan.

According to a FoEI survey, the Penan face dwindling revenue and deteriorating health conditions due to air and river pollution, exposure to heat and lack of nutritious food. All this has been traced to depletion of forest resources.

To add to their misery, many Penan do not possess identification documents despite numerous pleas made to relevant authorities to solve the problem.

Extreme poverty

According to Sarawak Penan Association chairperson Ajang Kiew, these native people have been living in extreme poverty without adequate access to basic needs.

"This is our standard of living despite 48 years of independence," he said.

He hit out at the federal and state governments for their lack of respect for the customary rights of Penan to forest lands, which have been 'usurped' by private companies.

"More education, vocational, agricultural, animal husbandry and health centres should be set up in and near Penan settlement areas," he said.

"The National Registration Department should set up a viable mechanism to overcome problems pertaining to registration of births, deaths and identity cards for the Penan."

Ajjang Kiew noted, however, that the authorities should first ban logging and the extensive clearance of customary Penan forest areas to safeguard their interests and benefits.

Echoing his views, FoEI called on for a halt to logging and large scale plantation activities in Penan areas.

"The government should immediately approve the application of the Penan for Communal Forest Reserves to be established to protect their customary interests and benefits," said Meenakshi.

ATHI VERANGGAN is malaysiakini's Penang-based stringer.