MERDEKA Day this year may be more significant under a new government but for the first inhabitants of this country, the Orang Asli, it is still too early to feel a sense of “merdeka” or liberation.

“We don’t feel a sense of Merdeka because our rights are being denied and taken away. What’s to feel Merdeka about?” said Mustafa Along, an Orang Asli from the Temiar tribe in Gua Musang, Kelantan.  

All over the country, their claims to lands used by their tribes for centuries are being threatened despite this being the “new Malaysia” under Pakatan Harapan.  

But there is a ray of hope. The PH government has said it is committed to resolving these land claims and that it will involve the community in their negotiations.  

This is a sharp departure from the previous Barisan Nasional administration, which usually dismissed the issue on the excuse that land rights were a matter for individual states.

Orang Asli communities under PH state governments also feel that their problems are no longer being ignored by those in power.

“The new government brings forth hope and a reset for everyone,” said Adrian Lasimbang (pic, left), an Orang Asal activist from Sabah.

“Perhaps the Orang Asal voice will be heard this time,” said Lasimbang, a Kadazan Dusun from Penampang.

Yet for other tribes, the wheels of change are moving too slowly and they are forced to resort to civil disobedience to guard what is left of their claims.

Activists from the Temiar tribe in Gua Musang are spending Merdeka under a state of siege from loggers and planters they accuse of destroying jungles on their tribal land.

Blockades put up to stop the clearing of jungles were torn down by the Kelantan government.  

The blockades were to ensure that the jungles are not destroyed while they wait for the Kelantan and federal governments to finish negotiations.

“We will only stop our blockades when we have a firm decision and company operations are halted,” said Temiar blockade leader Mohd Nur Syafiq Dendi Abdullah after an August 10 meeting with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Putrajaya.

Background

Indigenous communities in the peninsula often use the term “Orang Asli” while those in Sabah and Sarawak prefer “Orang Asal”.

Tribal land, which is usually acres of pristine jungle, is as important to these communities as towns are to urban Malaysians.

Just like a town, the jungles are their clinic, supermarket, temple, water supply system, construction yard, school and recreational area.       

So when a plantation company clears a communal jungle, the outrage to Orang Asli is similar to the anger a neighbourhood feels when a beloved park is destroyed for a condominium project.

Although the courts have said that natives can claim “tanah adat” (tribal or customary land), different states have different laws.

Even in regions with specific tanah adat laws, such as Sabah and Sarawak, natives still feel cheated.

“The reality remains that the actions of the government, certain officers and staff continue to deny the rights of the Orang Asal,” said Galus Ahtoi (pic, right), a Kadazan Dusun from Kg Bundu, Tambunan.

“Many of us are still fighting and defending our livelihoods due to actions of the government to deny our rights and hand them over to plantation companies and outsiders.”

There is also the problem with basic infrastructure, such as schools, roads and healthcare.  

“The quality of rural schools for the Orang Asal in Sarawak is bad,” said Philip Tero, an Iban who divides his time between Bintulu and Kuching.

The Dayaks, who are the majority community in Sarawak, also feel marginalised from the local job market, said Tero.

About 60% of the teachers are from the peninsula, he said, while the Sarawakian civil service is dominated by Malays.

New hopes

The sorry state of their communities, said those interviewed, was entirely due to the BN administration which ruled the country for the past 60 years.

BN, they said, often turned a deaf ear to their pleas. So, they are hoping for a clean break from the past with PH. This is already happening in some places, such as Perak.

“The former BN government did not care at all for our concerns. They would not even come down to visit us,” said Bahalang Bangah of Kg Ulu Geruntum in Gopeng, Perak.

In contrast, the Semai tribe received visits from Perak PH’s new Menteri Besar Faizal Azumu and state government officials in the first 100 days of PH rule.

The state government has also halted and is reviewing a micro-hydro project in Gopeng that the community fears will destroy a river they depend on for water.

Even in Gua Musang, where the Temiar tribe seems to be losing its battle against the Kelantan government and agri-businesses, its activists have been heartened by the PH federal government’s concern.

Deputy Rural and Regional Development minister Sivarasa Rasiah visited the blockades and supported the community’s right to protect their customary lands.

He also said that Putrajaya will begin talks with Kelantan to resolve the competing land claims.

But even as they rejoice at Putrajaya’s new commitment, the natives understand the limitations and have since managed their expectations.

“It is only 100 days and we know that these promises will take a long time to fulfil. I hope that PH is serious about its commitments,” said Bahalang.

The alleged wrongs of the BN government have to be put right before the Orang Asli and Asal can feel a sense of Merdeka, said Tero.

And if the original inhabitants of Malaysia do not feel a true sense of ‘merdeka’, can Merdeka Day itself truly be meaningful? – August 31, 2018.