WITH a rapidly depleting food supply, villagers in Pos Simpor, Kelantan, are forced to seek the public’s help as the Orang Asli Affairs Department (Jakoa) lacks funds to assist them.

It has been two weeks since the 130 families reached out to Jakoa after their crops were destroyed by elephants and villages flooded because of continuous rains.

Getting to town to replenish supplies is difficult as the floods have turned the roads muddy and villagers’ motorcycles keep getting stuck.

Pos Simpor Orang Asli activist Nur Mohd Syafiq Dendi Abdullah said they are not keen to ask for help from outsiders but have no choice.

“We have asked Jakoa, and we were told that they are short of funds. We now hope that someone can assist us,” he said, adding that residents have just one bag of rice left.

The affected families are from three villages – Kg Jader, Kg Penad and Kg Sedal.

The Malaysian Insight has contacted Jakoa and is awaiting a reply.

The villagers said the floods have made it hard for them to get to the nearest town, located 5km away, to buy food.

Nur Syafiq said the road conditions are bad.

“On Sunday, we were waiting for the rubber merchant to come and buy our stock. But he did not come because of the rain and badly damaged roads.”

Some villagers got stuck in the mud for two hours when trying to get to town, he said.

“We hope to sell the rubber (so that we can then buy food). But we are finding it difficult with the bad road conditions.”

Gua Musang’s Orang Asli have fought loggers and planters over the past year, erecting blockades that are promptly dismantled by state authorities.

Kelantan has issued permits for land clearing and plantations after declaring that the land belongs to the state, as the concept of “tanah adat”, or native customary land, does not exist in the state constitution. By law, land matters fall under state jurisdiction.

The federal government has filed a suit against Kelantan and five private companies for encroaching on Orang Asli land. The state seeks to have the matter decided by the Federal Court. – November 19, 2019.