ACTIVISTS have called on Putrajaya to allocate more funds in Budget 2024 to elevate Orang Asli’s living standards.

Last year, the government allocated RM305 million for the community compared with RM274 million in 2022.

Lawyer and activist Amani Williams-Hunt Abdullah, known as Bah Tony, said indigenous people need more funds so more welfare issues could be addressed.

The activist, who is a member of the Semai tribe in Perak, said: “The government allocates a budget for the Orang Asli each year, but we do not know if it is for development purposes or administrative costs.

“There should be transparency and a breakdown of the yearly budget.

“We hope the development portion will be increased, which will really help the Orang Asli,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Amani said the indigenous community has complained there were little funds for entrepreneurial activities.

“It (allocation) should be increased and made available to them. They have been getting some funds to do business, but it is nominal.”

He said the government should look into funding for indigenous children’s education.

“The transport allocations for sending Orang Asli children to school need to be increased, and (the government must) provide school supplies including computers if possible.

“If there are no budget constraints, then (the community) should be given enough allocations.”

As for development, he said, the government should focus its efforts in rural areas like in Kelantan where there are no roads, bridges or streetlamps.

He also called for more surveyors to map Orang Asli land.

“The government has been saying it cannot survey Orang Asli land or get the state governments to gazette these lands as it lacks funding to pay surveyors.

“We hope it can increase allocations for this purpose so Orang Asli land can be gazetted and protected.

“There were land cases in which Orang Asli won in court but (authorities) said they couldn’t survey the land (for gazettement) because they had no funding.

“If there is a directive from the court, the state government has to carry out the necessary process of gazetting the area.”

Amani said the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) would appoint surveyors as they must submit land gazettement applications to state governments.

Centre for Orang Asli Concerns executive director Colin Nicholas said the community has been raising the same issues before the tabling of every budget, but its situation has not changed much.

“They (authorities) must monitor the administration costs for running Jakoa and their delivery on development and infrastructure” as well as leakages, he said.

Nicholas urged special allocations for emergencies such as for medical treatment and flood displacement.

He said if Jakoa lacks funds, it must ask for more instead of just saying there was no money.

As for Orang Asli welfare, he said after 63 years, the poverty rate among indigenous people was at 89%.

“Where have all the development funds gone? Show the people the results.

“By now there should be improvements in the number of roads and houses built, (and the availability of) water supply.

“It’s not a matter of increasing the budget, but how it’s being utilised,” Nicholas said. – October 12, 2023.