Orang Asli group laments Oraco's meeting no-show, vows to fight on

An Orang Asli group fighting against the Pahang Orang Asli Corporation’s (Oraco) acquisition of the villagers’ commercial replanting projects (TSK) has expressed disappointment over the firm’s no-show at a scheduled meeting to discuss the matter.

It said Oraco’s chairperson failed to attend the meeting despite being the one who set the date.

“On Sept 13, the Orang Asli communities in Pahang held a dialogue session organised by the Jakun Pahang Association in Pekan.

“Around 500 Orang Asli communities from several districts attended – with the support of our village chiefs and the Orang Asli Village Development and Safety Committee chairperson.

“We wanted to speak to Oraco chairperson Muhammad Olian Abdullah (on the issue) and hand over a letter to protest his company’s move to acquire TSK and clarify the status of Orang Asli’s land.

“However, we failed to meet the objective after Olian (above) did not show up on the date they set, which is disappointing,” Jahut Orang Asli Community Association secretary Naham Nasir said in a statement, reiterating their opposition to the company’s bid.

On Aug 1, Orang Asli activist Eliana Tan decried the lack of consultation with the community before Oraco took over the replanting projects previously managed by the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).

She said Oraco had already taken over some of the villagers’ TSK despite their opposition, which does not follow the principles of free, prior, transparent, and informed consent and violates the Orang Asli’s right to self-determination.

On Sept 4, Pahang Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) director Johari Alwi quit his post in Oraco after heightened tensions between the Pahang-owned company and the Orang Asli community.

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