About 100 indigenous people's leaders from around the country will march tomorow from Central Market to the royal palace to submit a memorandum on the current state of natives’ rights.

orang asli 170308 Tomorrow’s march - in conjunction with the first year anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) - concludes a four-day exhibition on the issue at Central Market.

Malaysia was among the first countries to sign for the DRIP’s adoption by the UN General Assembly on Sep 13, 2007.

Media liaison officer for the Network of Indigenous Peoples Malaysia (Joas) Jennifer Rubis, however, said there remains vast discrepancies between what the government commits internationally and the prevailing realities on the ground.

The memorandum is the result of three-days deliberations amongst indigenous people's leaders and activists on these discrepancies, especially in relations to land and cultural issues, said Rubis.

“Among the highlights of the memorandum are the lack of recognition at the local level of indigenous people's rights to their own land and resources. Indigenous peoples’ communities are very dependent on their land and forests,” she said when contacted.

“There’s also a lack of recognition that indigenous people (although they are Bumiputeras) have cultural identities that are distinct from Malays. Such recognition has to be accorded as part of the source of dignity for indigenous peoples.

5044 colition people march 1509 orang asli “There are also a host of other issues, such as the lack of educational, employment and access to health opportunities that have led to the marginalisation of poor communities in general,” she added.

According to Rubis, indigenous people's leaders from Johor stretching to Pahang and on to Sabah and Sarawak will marching tomorrow to submit the memorandum to the national palace of King Mizan Zainal Abidin.

Joas chairperson Adrian Lasimbang said: “The memorandum is aimed at letting the supreme authority know his government's commitments to indigenous peoples, not only internationally, but nationally too.”