Malaysia: Suhakam urges govt to protect Orang Asli rights

The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) wants the government to use the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a benchmark when making policies on the Orang Asli.

Suhakam Commissioner Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria said the UN document should be used as legal standard to protect the rights of Malaysia’s indigenous peoples, as well as other marginalised communities such as Indian plantation workers.

“The Orang Asli and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are closely tied to their land. It is a source of their livelihood, their culture, their history and their very lifestyle.

“They have been on these lands for generations and in some cases, they have been requesting for their land rights for more than 40 years.

“However, when a large private company with political connections steps into the picture, they would receive the land rights that these people have been requesting, within the short period of two years,” he told reporters after a discussion on indegenous people at the Suhakam headquarters.

Jayasooria said although the government had allocated compensation land to these indigenous peoples, it did not equate to the amount of land allocated for Felda settlers.

“These people have land. It is their land. And yet, when the government took their land, they were only given between six and eight acres per family, whereas they actually need about 10 to 30 acres per family to make it viable for small holders,” he added.

Date: 19 November 2008

Source: The New Straits Times