Orang Asli outraged by Negri MB's insult
Darwish ZainalPublished: Nov 17, 2011 1:58 AM | Updated: Nov 17, 2011 2:13 AM
About 100 Orang Asli from 68 villages in Negeri Sembilan yesterday demonstrated at the state secretariat building in Seremban demanding an apology for what they said was an insult levelled against them by Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan.
About 100 Orang Asli from 68 villages in Negeri Sembilan yesterday demonstrated at the state secretariat building in Seremban demanding an apology for what they said was an insult levelled against them by Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan.
Organisers of the gathering, identifying themselves as members of the Jaringan Kampung-Kampung Orang Asli Negeri Sembilan (Network of Orang Asli Villages of Negeri Sembilan or JKKOANS), said they were protesting against Mohamad for describing them as “setinggan” (squatters).
The remark, said to have been made on Sept 21, was both “insulting” and “insensitive”, decried JKKOANS activists.
"Mohamad Hasan should not have made such a remark because it hurt us and show how those not from our community have no respect for our lifestyles and the lifestyles of our children,” JKKOANS coordinator Langkap Kessu told journalists.
Mohamad was reported as saying that Orang Asli villages were located in forest reserves, which means they are mere “squatters” and do not have any rights to the land.
Three-hour wait to hand memo to MB
Langkap, however, rebutted Mohamad by asserting that the ancestors of the Orang Asli villagers had lived on the land, which makes their villages older than the forest reserves referred to by the menteri besar.
Mohamad’s remarks also went against the rights enshrined in the federal constitution - the right to life (Article 5), equality (Article 8) and to property (Article 13), said Langkap.
“So it’s not the Orang Asli who encroached on the forest reserves, but certain people who encroached upon our ancestral land,” said Langkap.
After a three-hour wait, JKKOANS leaders succeeded in submitting their memorandum of protest to Mohamad following his meeting with state excos.
Mohamad, however, said he would read the memorandum before commenting on the matter.
Organisers of the gathering, identifying themselves as members of the Jaringan Kampung-Kampung Orang Asli Negeri Sembilan (Network of Orang Asli Villages of Negeri Sembilan or JKKOANS), said they were protesting against Mohamad for describing them as “setinggan” (squatters).The remark, said to have been made on Sept 21, was both “insulting” and “insensitive”, decried JKKOANS activists.
"Mohamad Hasan should not have made such a remark because it hurt us and show how those not from our community have no respect for our lifestyles and the lifestyles of our children,” JKKOANS coordinator Langkap Kessu told journalists.
Mohamad was reported as saying that Orang Asli villages were located in forest reserves, which means they are mere “squatters” and do not have any rights to the land.
Three-hour wait to hand memo to MB
Langkap, however, rebutted Mohamad by asserting that the ancestors of the Orang Asli villagers had lived on the land, which makes their villages older than the forest reserves referred to by the menteri besar.
Mohamad’s remarks also went against the rights enshrined in the federal constitution - the right to life (Article 5), equality (Article 8) and to property (Article 13), said Langkap.“So it’s not the Orang Asli who encroached on the forest reserves, but certain people who encroached upon our ancestral land,” said Langkap.
After a three-hour wait, JKKOANS leaders succeeded in submitting their memorandum of protest to Mohamad following his meeting with state excos.
Mohamad, however, said he would read the memorandum before commenting on the matter.
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