MP moots development board, free healthcare for Orang Asli
The country's first Orang Asli lawmaker has mooted the formation of a development board, similar to Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), to help uplift the indigenous community economically.
Ramli Mohd Nor (BN-Cameron Highlands) also proposed for Orang Asli to be granted completely free healthcare and education at all levels.
Debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today, Ramli said...
The country's first Orang Asli lawmaker has mooted the formation of a development board, similar to Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), to help uplift the indigenous community economically.
Ramli Mohd Nor (BN-Cameron Highlands) also proposed for Orang Asli to be granted completely free healthcare and education at all levels.
Debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today, Ramli said an Orang Asli development board should be formed through an Act of Parliament, and receive a one-off grant to help it get started in generating its own funds.
"The board would not be tied to the day-to-day bureaucracy of government, and hence can focus on developing the Orang Asli," he said.
On the matter of healthcare, he said Orang Asli should not be charged anything at government clinics and specialist hospitals, including for registration, consultation, treatment, and medication.
Likewise, he said all Orang Asli, regardless of income status, should be given free education from pre-school to tertiary level.
There must also be aid given in the form of food assistance, transportation, and accommodation for Orang Asli students, he insisted.
Ramli also asserted that Orang Asli land rights must be protected, saying that amendments need to be made to the national land code and Orang Asli Act.
He said state governments should also legislate Orang Asli land enactments to enshrine the community's rights.
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