THE Orang Asli are citizens of the country and their rights deserve to be defended, said Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) director-general Prof Dr Juli Edo. 

Even though the Orang Asli do get a piece of the pie, Juli said it was a meagre piece from the state and federal governments. 

“The Orang Asli do have rights and are given priority but not what they deserve. They get smaller budgets and are mostly marginalised,” he said. 

Juli said that besides the obvious need to address health issues, matters pertaining to education, infrastructure, job opportunities, improving their economic lot and land rights, other concerns would have to be looked into as well by the government. 

“They are citizens of the country and of their respective states, they deserve to have equal rights like everyone,” he said. 

He also said public perception that the Orang Asli’s are averse to change and development is wrong.

“We also want basic amenities, access to good education and health facilities, a nice house, and state-of-the art equipment and devices… it’s just that the means are limited.

“We have to work to give them these things so that they can have a better life,” he told members of the press at a panel discussion held on Friday evening by the Centre for Malaysian Indigenous Studies on the recent Bateq community deaths in Kuala Koh, Kelantan. 

He said this can be achieved if all parties work together. This includes an understanding between the federal and the state governments. 

“If the federal and the state governments can agree then it will be good,” he said.

Speaking about the deceased members of the Bateq community in Kelantan, Juli said that the government accepts its findings that the 15 had succumbed to measles but is still waiting for post-mortem results of the bodies.

He said they are also waiting for toxicology reports from the nearby rivers in Kuala Koh. 

“We want to see if there’s anything else, the government will plan (when the results come out),” he said. 

Also at the forum was lawyer and activist Siti Kassim, who said she is willing to help sue any responsible party especially the state and federal governments if the water in Kuala Koh is found to be contaminated. 

“If the Orang Asli want, I am willing to help them sue any party responsible if the water is found to be contaminated in the area.

“I will not hesitate to take legal action against the state and federal government as well for negligence,” she said adding that poisoning water source is a crime under the Criminal Procedure Code. 

As of June 16, the bodies of 12 Bateq tribesmen were retrieved from Kg Kuala Koh and taken to Gua Musang Hospital for post mortem.

As many as 15 villagers had died from a seemingly mysterious disease early this year.

The Health Ministry has yet to determine the cause of death of 12 Orang Asli.

Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the results of the autopsy and other tests have yet to be released.

Dr Dzulkefly said the post mortem they conducted on the first two victims had initially shown that the Orang Asli died of pneumonia but it has since been confirmed that the cause of the deaths was measles. – June 29, 2019.