ACTIVISTS and volunteers fear that the Orang Asli would not receive the financial aid promised by the government under the Covid-19 stimulus package.

Most Orang Asli are not in the system, have no bank accounts and live in remote areas where reaching out to them is going to be difficult, especially during the movement-control order period, they said.

Last week, the government announced a second stimulus package totalling RM250 billion, aimed at protecting the people, supporting businesses and strengthening the economy in the face of the pandemic.

The Bantuan Prihatin payment caters for the B40 group, which includes the Orang Asli.

The RM1,600 per household will be given to those registered through their bank accounts. And this is where the problem starts.

Global Peace Foundation CEO Dr Teh Su Thye said among the factors to be considered is if the Orang Asli or villagers are registered in the first place.

There are many undocumented Orang Asli who might not officially be recorded in the government database, Teh said.

The bank account requirement also poses a problem as many Orang Asli folk are not tech-savvy and fall outside conventional banking purviews.

“Since most financial aid is transferred directly, many of the Orang Asli don’t have bank accounts,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Banks and ATMs are also out of reach for the Orang Asli as they live far from towns and mostly in jungles or close to them.

Asking the Orang Asli to fill out forms or apply could be challenging for villagers who are illiterate, he said.

They cannot wait for the financial aid to arrive at the end of April as they’re struggling to feed their families now, Teh said.

“I saw on the news that Bantuan Prihatin will arrive at the end of April. But day-to-day survival is needed and cannot wait,” he said.

The Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), meanwhile, said even though 99% of Orang Asli fall under the B40 group, it is unlikely that all families will receive help from the government.

“From experience, we know that not all households will be reached, or what they receive will be enough,” said the civil society group in a Facebook post.

According to COAC, the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) said it will be distributing aid to about 30,000 Orang Asli families while the true number is more than 50,000.

“There are another 20,000 plus families not factored in.

“And at least 192 Orang Asli villages that are not usually entitled to ‘official’ assistance,” the group said. – April 5, 2020.