The government must ensure alternative sources of income for the Orang Asli community living at a landfill in Bandar Muadzam Shah, Pahang where they had made their living by scavenging for recyclable material, said MCA deputy president Mah Hang Soon.

Mah (above) said this after Pahang Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) moved to forbid public access to the landfill after it was revealed that some from the Orang Asli community had been living there without running water and poor sanitation.

"In the immediate interim, what measures has the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) to ensure that the affected Jakun community has subsistence living?

"What is Jakoa doing while there are Orang Asli kampungs with no means of sustenance but to scavenge for food?

"How many more marginalised groups like those from Bukit Ibam and Bukit Biru are there with living conditions worse than the pets of the wealthy?" said Mah.

Mah said he hopes Jakoa will not wait until a repeat of the Kuala Koh incident where some 16 people from the Bateq community died from measles amid poor nutrition and vaccination.

He urged the Health Ministry to look into their health and ensure that their nutritional needs are met.

He added that the government should also improve the conditions of the Orang Asli villages in the area by ensuring basic amenities.

Noting that many of the scavengers were children, he stressed that they must also be provided with proper education.

He added that the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry and Rural and Regional Development Ministry can consider providing guidance to help the community there to engage in agriculture activities.

SWCorp’s move to forbid public access to the landfill came in wake of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P Waythamoorthy’s visit to the Orang Asli villages.

He pledged that the Orang Asli Affairs Department would provide fresh water once a week until a more permanent solution is in place, and to find ways to provide electricity to the villages.

He also promised to help find better jobs for the villagers and said he has asked SWCorp to consider hiring them.

In addition, he mooted several projects that the government could help set up to provide villagers with a new source of income, such as fish farming or fertigation projects.