Malaysia should empower its forest-dependent indigenous people to alleviate poverty and safeguard their environment, the European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme said.

The Orang Asli, the original inhabitants of Malaysia, make up less than one percent of the nation's population and are disadvantaged in terms of income, health, education and living standards.

The two bodies said in a joint statement that recognition and protection of the Orang Asli's native customs and rights will allow them to address the problems they face.

"Once effective recognition is given to their customary rights, they are the ones who know best which are the needs and specific challenges to tackle, in order to ensure improved and sustainable living conditions," said Thierry Rommel, the head of the European Commission delegation to Malaysia.

Rommel said sustainable forest management was fast becoming a critical element of Malaysia's poverty eradication strategy.

"Local communities are no obstacle to growth. Rather, they can help ensure growth is sustainable while natural resources are protected," he said.

Joint project

A joint EC and UNDP programme, started three years ago, issued grants totalling RM5.9 million to 20 forest-based communities.

Numbering about 150,000 throughout the Malaysian peninsula, the Orang Asli are divided into three main tribal groups. Some 37 percent still live in forests while about 60 percent exist on the fringes or in rural areas.

The communities ran conservation-based projects including eco-tourism, agro-forestry and reforestation to improve their socio-economic conditions as well as to revitalize their traditional culture.

The programme will end in June this year and both organisations called for more support to help the Orang Asli in their forest-based activities.

"In spite of their strong commitment and their efforts, the indigenous communities are not capable of investing on the required scale because they are not economically strong," Rommel said.

To this end, UNDP said it was looking for partners to provide financial and technical support for a new two-year community forestry initiative costing one million dollars.