Amanah Youth calls for task force on Orang Asli deaths

Amanah Youth is urging the government to set up a task force to probe the cause behind the deaths of 14 Orang Asli in Kuala Koh, Gua Musang.

Its Environment Bureau chief, Asim Abdullah, said the party hopes a task force will be established soon to investigate the actual reason behind the deaths.

"If anyone is found not performing (their) responsibilities with integrity, not following procedures and abusing their powers, stern action must be taken as a deterrent.

"There were accusations that these deaths were caused by the contamination of (their) water source. This might be caused by mining and illegal logging activities around Kuala Koh," he said in a statement today.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had vowed stern action against those responsible if the deaths of 14 Orang Asli were indeed caused by contamination.

There has been confusion over the number of deaths as NGOs, including Peka Malaysia, had put the death toll at 14.

However, the local police and the Kelantan Health Department said they could only confirm two deaths.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P Waythamoorty, who visited the site, had confirmed through his aide that there were 14 deaths in the area the last month.

The aide clarified that the confusion over the number of deaths was because the post-mortems for 12 Orang Asli has not been conducted.

Bernama reported today that the official death toll increased to three as another patient, who showed symptoms of lung infection, died on June 9. 

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