Orang Asli: Mr PM, we are not “Sakai”!!!

Philip Ho

Klik4M.com Tuesday, 26 October 2010

The Network of Orang Asli Villages Malaysia (JKOAM) voiced their displeasure at the continued oppression and the exploitation of Orang Asli in a press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. JKOAM representative Amani Williams-Hunt Abdullah, or better known as Bah Tony, and also Tijah Yok Chopil told reporters that the Orang Asli wished to clarify some of the misleading information that was made public by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during his 2011 Budget speech.

What happened to the allowances?

JKOAM refuted Najib's claims that the federal government had increased the allowances of Tok Batins (village heads) and also the Chairman of the Orang Asli Village Development and Village Security (JKKK) from RM450 previously to RM800 per month this year.

"Batin Kelipit Tinggit from Kampung Dong has been a Tok Batin for 19 years. He has never received a single cent as allowance from the Barisan Nasional (BN) government. Where did his money go? Tijah asked, questioning the accuracy of Najib's statement. Based on Najib's announcement or calculation, Batin Kelipit would have been entitled to RM5,400 per year and would have received RM 97,200 for the past 18 years and with the new amount stated by the Prime Minister, he would have also received at least RM7,200 for the past nine months of 2010.

"Some Tok Batins did receive allowances but they were in the region of RM200 per month. On top of that, the government only paid once every three months. Some didn't get it at all, so what happened to the money (RM4,600 balance)? Tijah told reporters, adding that the reporters could check with the 20 Tok Batins who were present today to find out whether they had received any allowances. The 20 odd Tok Batins who had gathered today were from Orang Asli villages in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Pahang. "Even the JKKK Chairman never received any allowances. Again, what happened to the money? Where did Najib get his information from?

Stop taking away our land!

JKOAM then slammed Najib for further trampling on the rights of the Orang Asli when the latter announced that the Department of Orang Asli Affairs (JHEOA) would be given a RM100 million allocation to carry out modernization plans for Orang Asli, including giving land to the Orang Asli. "We own the land. Who are they (BN government) to take away what is rightfully ours and then 'give' it back to us as if they are doing us a favour? Where is the logic in that?

"They take away huge chunks of land, give the prime land to developers and give us back small patches of land. Is there any justice in that? asked Tijah. Bah Tony then revealed that the federal government had yet to respond to the Orang Asli's memorandum dated March 17, where more than 1,000 Orang Asli, marched to Putrajaya to protest the exploitation. "By ignoring the memorandum, Najib is effectively ignoring the voice of the Orang Asli, who are also Malaysians. This shows that Najib does not respect the civil rights of the Orang Asli, does not respect their rights as Malaysians and does not respect them as the indigenous people of the land," he said. Klik4Malaysia (K4M) had earlier written an article about the origins of the Orang Asli. It was recorded in history that the earliest Orang Asli had been living in the peninsular since 8,000 B.C, way before Parameswara (1344-1414) founded Melaka.

Bah Tony also pointed out that the Orang Asli relocation plan and also the commercial replanting project were in fact, the real reason why Orang Asli still live in poverty."They (BN) take away the land without proper compensation and then relocate them to a place where they can not survive."This shows that the ideas, plans and development projects for the Orang Asli have failed miserably and destroyed the Orang Asli's way of life," he said.

Yusri Ahon, a JKOAM activist from Kampung Sungai Mai, Pahang told K4M that the state government also wanted to implement TSK in his village about three years ago. "They wanted to take away our forest and also our palm oil estates, rubber estates, durian orchards and langsat orchards. "They also didn't give us the food allocations that were promised. We never received the rice, oil, sugar, salt and biscuits that was supposed to be delivered to us," he said. However, he claimed that the Orang Asli in Johor were treated better compared to other states."Some of them were given up to 8 acres of land and they also received food supplies. I don't know, why? he asked. Yusri lamented that the Orang Asli in Pahang would sometimes only get 2 to 3 acres in return after losing tens of acres to the state government and that sometimes when the state government do compensate on the monthly product sales, the Orang Asli were not paid in full. "My friend Hamin from Kampung Penderas has a 3 acre palm oil estate. After working very hard, he gets an average of 3 to 5 tons of palm oil to be sold in the market. Each ton fetches RM600 so he earns at least RM1,800 per month. "Compare that to what the state government is paying the Orang Asli whose estates and orchards were taken away, which amounts to about RM200 to RM400 a month. How are the Orang Asli going to survive? he added. JKOAM also questioned the reason for upgrading the JHEOA from the current department status to become the Orang Asli Development Body (BKOA) as the Orang Asli see the latter as their main source of problems."JHEOA often ignores and sometimes even cooperate with agencies like RISDA, FELCRA and also the police in oppressing and exploiting the Orang Asli, just like what happened in Kampung Buluh Nipis, Bandar Muadzam Shah, Pahang. "Why is the federal government blind to the Orang Asli's sufferings and have now given JHEOA more authority to rule over the Orang Asli? The Orang Asli is an independent community. They don't need other people to rule over them and dictate what they can and cannot do," Bah Tony (above) said.

Missing Orang Asli development funds

Disregarding the RM100mil allocation for 2011, JKOAM questioned the whereabouts of the missing development funds for previous years that was given by the government to JHEOA, meant for social, economic and infrastructure development of the villages. "Hundreds of Orang Asli villages now still do not have clean (and treated) water supply nor do they have electricity after 53 years of independence. There are also no proper infrastructure like paved roads or bridges or even schools," Tijah said. K4M spoke to a villager, Menah Man, from Kampung Dong, Kota Bahagia, Pahang, regarding the challenges faced by her village people. "We still don't have proper water supply till now. Although there is a water tank, the water pressure is so low that we can only draw water once every two weeks. At the end of the day, we still have to walk very far just to fetch water for daily use. "There is also no paved roads and we all have to take a 10km muddy and slippery hike to the nearest town in Kota Bahagia. Worse of all, the school children have to cross a 70 feet wide river in a small sampan followed by a 6km hike just to go to school everyday. Some of the children wade across the river. It is so dangerous," Menah said. She added that they have requested numerous times from their state government over the past 5 years to build a bridge so that the primary schoolchildren can cross the river safely. "There are about 20 primary schoolchildren now and then there are also about 30 children between 2 and 6 years old. We really need the bridge so there will be no accidental drowning in the future. "We nearly had a case of drowning 2 years ago. A boy was swept by the strong current but was rescued as someone saw him. He was really lucky," she added. When asked how do they cope without electricity all these years, she told K4M that they have been using at least 4 to 5 oil lamps just to light up their house at night."One litre of oil costs around RM3 to RM4 now and it only lasts us 2 nights."Calculations show that each home uses an average of RM60 per month just for lighting.Panjang Tangkak from Kampung Mikang also slammed the prime minister for his empty promises of subsidies for the poor Orang Asli and also the missing rice allocations for the Orang Asli villages."Najib promised this and that but until now, nothing has been done," he said, adding that the prime minister is all talk."If you want to see Orang Asli begging, you should all visit Kampung Tun Razak. The government took away their land and now they are sleeping by the sidewalk and under the bridge, so I don't know what the government is talking about when they said there are funds allocated for the Orang Asli," Tijah said.

Najib called us slaves

JKOAM then slammed Najib for referring to the Orang Asli as 'Sakai', a slang that meant 'slaves' when he addressed the UMNO delegates during the recent UMNO general assembly, and quoted an old poem saying, "Sakai...are also Malays." "As a Prime Minister who promotes 1Malaysia, why is he calling the Orang Asli slaves? Secondly, Orang Asli are not Malays. Our ancestors were here long before the Malays set foot on the peninsular," said Tijah. Bah Tony said: "As the PM, he should have known better. If the Malays, Chinese, Indians and other races feel insulted when racist remarks are uttered, it is obvious that the Orang Asli will feel even worse for being called a slave." "Genetic tests have also proven that the Orang Asli genes are unique and are not related in anyway to the Malays." JKOAM then demanded that the federal government stop impinging on the rights of the Orang Asli, show audited documentation of all RPS and TSK projects, conduct a public inquiry into the missing allowances and funds, gazette the Orang Asli land as promised, instead of taking it away from them, discuss any proposed amendments Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 and most importantly, setup a Royal Commission to investigate the grouses of the Orang Asli. "We call upon the prime minister to honour Article 8 (5) (c) in the Constitution where the government must respect the rights of its citizens to ensure equality and harmony," Bah Tony said.

KENYATAAN MEDIA

OLEH JARINGAN KAMPUNG ORANG ASLI SEMENANJUNG

Salam sejahtera.

Kami ingin merujuk kepada kenyataan PM dalam pembentangan Belanjawan 2011 berkenaan dengan perkara di dalam perenggan 93 dan 96 berhubung peruntukan bagi OA dan juga berkenaan kenyataan PM semasa perhimpunan UMNO di PWTC yang menghiris hati masyarakat OA:

1. Kenaikan elaun Tok Batin/Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung Orang Asli sebanyak RM800 sebulan berbanding RM450 sebulan sebelum ini.

Sesungguhnya kami menegaskan bahawa kenyataan PM dalam perkara ini adalahamat bercanggah daripada kebenarannya. Tok-tok Batin atau Ketua Kampung OA selama ini cuma mendapat elaun sebanyak RM200 saja sebulan dan diberikan dalam tempoh setahun atau 3 bulan sekali. Mengikut sumber yang diperolehi dari Batin-batin, ada masanya tempoh pembayaran elaun tersebut ditunda kepada beberapa bulan berikutnya tanpa sebarang sebab yang jelas. Jika benar bahawa elaun yang sepatutnya diberikan itu berjumlah RM450.00 sebulan sedangkan Tok-tok Batin cuma menerima RM200 sebulan, persoalan yang timbul ialah kemanakah perginya perbezaan baki RM250 itu?.

Kenyataan mengatakan pembayaran elaun kepada Pengerusi JKKK OA sebanyak RM450 setiap bulan adalah juga tidak pernah wujud. Bagaimana PM mengatakan Pengerusi JKK ada terima bayaran sebanyak itu dan sekarang nak dinaikan ke RM800 pula? Jika benar ada peruntukan sebelum ini dan Pengerusi JKKK tidak menerimanya kemanakah duit-duit tersebut telah pergi dan bagaimanakah ianya digunakan?

2. Sejumlah RM100 juta diperuntukan bagi melaksanakan pelbagai program termasuk menyelesaikan isu pegangan hakmilik tanah dan persempadanan penempatan OA serta perlaksanaan model baru pembangunan OA. Selaras dengan itu, Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli akan disusun semula dan diperkukuhkan dengan memberi nafas baru sebagai Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli.

Berkenaan perkara ini, PM nampaknya langsung tidak mengendahkan apa yang kami suarakan dalam memorandum bantahan Orang Asli terhadap Dasar Pemberimilikan dan Pembangunan Tanah Orang Asli yang kami hantar kepada beliau pada 17 Mac 2010 yang lepas di Putrajaya.

Tindakan PM ini jelas menunjukan bahawa beliau lansung tidak menghormati hak asasi OA sebagai manusia, rakyat Malaysia dan sebagai Orang Asal di negara ini untuk menentu dan memutuskan apakah corak kehidupan, pengiktirafan dan pembangunan yang kami mahukan.

Belanjawan yang diluluskan oleh Kerajaan tersebut bukanlah 'durian runtuh' untuk kami tetapi ia adalah bala yang akan menyebabkan kami kehilangan wilayah adat kami lantaran itu adat budaya, jatidiri, sejarah, lagenda dan kehidupan kami sebagai satu komuniti yang unik.

Meskipun Kerajaan telah memperuntukan berjuta-juta Ringgit untuk pembangunan OA di mana JHEOA telah diamanahkan untuk melaksanakanya, namun sehingga saat ini masih banyak kampung Orang Asli yang tidak mempunyai sebarang kemudahan asas, sehinggakan masih terdapat beratus-ratus kampung Orang Asli yang tidak mempunyai bekalan air yang bersih. Malah OA terpaksa berjalan berbatu-batu untuk dapatkan air minuman yang bersih. Begitu juga, masih banyak kampung OA yang masih tidak mempunyai bekalan letrik dan jalan tar.

Pada hakikatnya, projek-projek pembangunan yang diberi kepada OA selama ini seperti RPS, TSK dan sebagainya hanya memburukan lagi masalah kemiskinan OA serta menyebabkan kemudaratan dalam kehidupan mereka. Disamping itu, mereka juga diselubungi kebimbangan, hilang punca sehingga saling menyalahkan dan bergaduh sesama sendiri. Kes-kes seperti yang dialami oleh OA di Kampung Buluh Nipis, RPS Pos Betau dan Bukit Lanjan atau nama glamournya Damansara Perdana menunjukan bahawa ide, perancangan dan perlaksanaan pembangunan yang Kerajaan perkenalkan kepada OA bukan sahaja gagal tetapi membawa kemusnahan kepada OA.

3. Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) kepada Badan Kemajuan Orang Asli (BKOA)

Kami tidak faham kenapa Kerajaan masih tidak nampak atau sengaja buat-buat tidak nampak bahawa selama ini OA hidup dengan cukup harmoni di dalam wilayah Tanah Adat kami masing-masing. Makan minun kami dan sakit pening kami, kami sendiri yang usahakan untuk selesaikannya. Dari sudut mana pula Kerajaan lihat bahawa semua kejayaan yang kami dapat/capai sekarang ini diberi oleh JHEOA sehinggakan Kerajaan nak iktiraf dan naikkan status JHEOA sebagai badan kemajuan OA. Dari pengalaman kebanyakan OA selama ini, JHEOA adalah satu badan yang menyusahkan OA dan mempermudahkan pengambilan wilayah Tanah Adat OA. JHEOA juga berperanan sebagai badan yang menipu dan menindas OA samada semasa wilayah Tanah Adat kami dicerobohi atau semasa perlaksanaan projek pembangunan untuk OA. JHEOA sering membiarkan dan bersekongkol untuk membiarkan agensi-agensi seperti RISDA, FELCRA dan Polis menindas dan menipu OA sebagaimana yang berlaku di Buluh Nipis Muadzam Shah. Apakah BKOA akan mengamalkan polisi yang sama berhubung dengan wilayah adat OA? Inikah yang PM kata sebagai Badan Kemajuan Orang Asli?..

4. Kenyataan PM: "Sakai, Jakun juga dalam Melayu"

Kami menggangap penegasan PM sempena perhimpunan Umno bahawa Sakai, Jakun juga dalam Melayu adalah satu penghinaan dan sikap tidak ada rasa hormat dan perihatin kepada OA. Pengunaan istilah-istilah tersebut amat mengguris hati seluruh Masyarakat Orang Asli di Semenanjung Malaysia. Jika kaum-kaum lain begitu mudah merasa tersinggung dan marah apabila ada sebarang kenyataan yang berkaitan kaum digunakan, begitu juga OA. Kami juga ada perasaan dan kami tidak suka dengan pengunaan istilah-istilah tersebut sebagai rujukan kepada OA. Sebagai Perdana Menteri yang melaung-laungkan konsep 1 Malaysia, adalah tidak wajar bagi beliau mengungkapkan istilah-istilah yang menyentuh sensitiviti sesuatu kaum meskipun ianya hanya sekadar kutipan baris-baris sajak atau puisi. Kami menegaskan bahawa tindakan ini adalah tindakan yang tidak wajar dan kurang sensitif.

Tuntutan kami sekarang:

Kami menuntut Kerajaan memberhentikan kepuraannya dan kembalikan apa yang menjadi hak kami OA. Beri kami senarai terperinci bagaimana peruntukan berjuta-juta untuk kemudahan-kemudahan asas digunakan dan senarai kampung-kampung yang telah mendapat kemudahan-kemudahan tersebut.

1. Kembalikan projek TSK kepada penduduk kampung dan tunjukan maklumat pengurusan jualan, untung rugi yang terperinci kepada penduduk kampung terlibat sepanjang ianya dikelola oleh pihak-pihak yang terbabit.

2. Kami menyeru kepada Kerajaan agar satu siasatan awam yang telus dan bebas dijalankan untuk menentukan samada terdapat apa-apa penyelewangan berhubung dengan tuntutan-tuntutan 1 dan 2 di atas dan elaun Tok Batin dan Pengerusi JKKK Orang Asli.

3. Biar kami tentukan sendiri jenis pembangunan yang kami mahu.

4. Wilayah Tanah Adat kami adalah nyawa dan hidup kami bukan hanya ekonomi semata-mata. Maka pengiktirafan mengikut tuntutan kami hendaklah menjadi fokus Kerajaan sekarang.

5. Kami perlu dihormati dan dihargai. Kami bukan perlu simpati kerana kami bukan peminta sedekah. Kami telah mempunyai wilayah adat, budaya, adat resam, sejarah, sumber semulajadi, pentadbiran wilayah n comuniti yg teratur, seimbang dan harmoni dan kami juga ada kemahiran dan kerajinan. Cuma kami menuntut semuanya yang dirampas dari kami dikembalikan.

6. Tunjukkan kepada kami draf sah dasar tersebut sebelum dibentang dan diluluskan oleh parlimen. Kami berhak tahu dan berunding mengenai isi kandungan dasar tersebut secara terperinci kerana ianya membabitkan Hak asasi kami dan masa depan kami.

7. Kami tidak mahu dasar yang diwar-warkan ini akan menjadi seperti rang Undang2 Perhilitan 2010 baru-baru ini dimana Kerajaan dan Paerlimen sewenangnya memutuskan apa yang boleh dan tidak boleh dimakan oleh OA tanpa sebarang perbincangan dengan OA.

8. Bagi kesemua tujuan ini, kami menyeru agar Suruhanjaya DiRaja ditubuhkan untuk menyiasat dengan terperinci semua perkara berhubung dengan hal-ehwal dan masalah OA.

Tuntutan diatas dalah termaktub dalam perkara 8 (5) (c) Perlembagan Persekutuan iaitu hak-hak kami harus dihormati sebagaimana pemerintah menghormati hak seluruh rakyat Malaysia demi mencapai kesamarataan dan kesejahteraan di negara kita yang dicintai.

Terima kasih.

Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung

25 Oktober 2010

Malaysia Kini

Klik disini

Berita- Utusan Malaysia

GERIK - Sering kali tanggapan masyarakat terhadap Orang Asli ialah golongan ini kurang menitikberatkan soal-soal kebersihan.

Namun, tanggapan itu akan meleset apabila mereka melawat rancangan penempatan semula (RPS) Air Banun Kampung Semelor di sini.

Sesiapa yang berkunjung ke kampung itu pasti terpegun melihat kebersihan dan kehijauan rumput yang ditanam di sekeliling rumah.

Melihat 'kesempurnaan' tersebut, maka tidak hairanlah RPS Air Banun Kampung Semelor pernah menjadi juara contoh kampung paling bersih di Perak selama dua tahun berturut-turut iaitu pada 2005 dan 2006.

Ketua Kampung Semelor, Samat Jerangon, 50, ketika ditemui berkata, nasihatnya kepada 28 keluarga yang menghuni kampung tersebut selama ini tentang pentingnya menjaga kebersihan akhirnya membuahkan hasil.

"Menjaga kebersihan penting bukan sahaja untuk tambah keindahan kampung tetapi tujuannya bagi mengelakkan penduduk daripada terkena pelbagai jenis penyakit," katanya di sini, baru-baru ini.

Kata Samat, dia amat bersyukur kerana penduduk kampung itu memberikan kerjasama penuh dan sudi mendengar nasihat yang diberikan.

"Melalui kebersihan juga mendidik seseorang lebih berdisiplin," katanya sambil tersenyum bangga dengan pencapaian kampung tersebut.

Menurut Samat, hakikatnya, dia tidak pernah terfikir untuk bertanding mahu pun memenangi sebarang hadiah pertandingan kampung terbersih yang diadakan setiap tahun di Perak.

"Saya sebenarnya memegang prinsip mencegah lebih baik daripada mengubati dan tidak pernah terfikir untuk menunjuk-nunjuk bahawa kampung saya ini bersih, apatah lagi untuk bertanding.

"Tujuan saya supaya dapat menghindarkan penduduk kampung daripada terkena penyakit memandangkan hospital yang ada terletak begitu jauh malah memakan masa berjam-jam lamanya untuk sampai ke sana," kata beliau.

Tentang rancangan pada masa akan datang, kata Samat, dia bercadang untuk menggalakkan penduduk kampung tersebut menanam pelbagai jenis pokok bunga selain pokok herba di halaman rumah masing-masing.

"Saya harap impian saya ini akan menjadi kenyataan satu hari nanti," katanya.

Dalam pada itu, seorang penduduk kampung, Bayan Ahmad, 21, memberitahu, sejak diminta bergotong-royong menjaga kebersihan, dia mendapati gejala penyakit seperti malaria, taun dan sebagainya berjaya dikurangkan.

Seorang lagi penduduk, Badul Beklek, 25, pula menjelaskan, sikap ketua kampung yang tegas dalam mengamalkan kebersihan wajar dipuji kerana ia memberikan kesan yang baik.

22/09/2010