CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The government is studying the need to create a comprehensive development plan for the Orang Asli community as an effort to bring progress to them, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She added that she would be bringing the matter to the Rural and Regional Development Ministry and the National Unity and Integration Department for further discussion.
She also said the matter was in line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 107 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples which encouraged governments to involve indigenous people in development projects apart from providing guidance on the protection of tribal people.
“The new federal government is very concerned and wishes to engage the Orang Asli in the flow of development at state or federal level,” she said during a session between the deputy prime minister and the Cameron Highlands Orang Asli community at Sungai Ruil Orang Asli village here yesterday.
Wan Azizah added that it was important for all parties to understand the community’s way of life and at the same time find the common areas to strengthen further cooperation as well as brotherhood to help the Orang Asli more effectively.
Apart from that, the deputy prime minister also urged the Pahang state government to gazette Orang Asli reserve land as an effort to ensure they did not lose their settlement and source of income to development.
“Development, cultivation, intrusion and grabbing customary land have created conflict and cause the Orang Asli to lose their homes and forest resources for their livelihood,” she said.
Another issue was the customary land which remained a challenge to the government to develop and improve the socio-economic standard of Orang Asli as the community was very close to the land and their ecological environment.
Commenting further, she wanted the Orang Asli to look after the sustainability of the environment which was one of the tourist attractions and continue to generate income for them.
She added that the government had mounted on several operations to prevent intrusion of land and forest.
“We want to restore and ensure the sustainability of Cameron Highlands as a tourist destination and as such we need
to look after the economic welfare of the Orang Asli,” she said. – Bernama
