THEY still have a long way to go before they can remove their blockades and gain recognition of their tribal lands.

But for the Orang Asli of Gua Musang, the new Pakatan Harapan government has made their path easier.

Before the May 9 general election, no government, whether at the state or federal level, wanted to hear their pleas about logging companies stripping their communal jungle.

They were arrested for stopping loggers and planters from encroaching on their customary lands.

Furthermore, the federal government would wash its hands of the matter whenever they claimed their customary lands, saying: “it’s a state government matter”.

But all that appeared to have ended yesterday when the new PH government said it will push for talks with Kelantan to start recognising Orang Asli and more importantly, giving those claims the force of law.

Activists like Nur Mohd Syafiq Dendi Abdullah feels hopeful that their cries can be finally heard. The icing on the cake for Syafiq is that Putrajaya is giving Orang Asli leaders a seat at the table when it negotiates with the PAS state government.

Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Sivarasa Rasiah, who visited two blockade sites in Gua Musang, Kelantan yesterday, also supported the move by the Orang Asli to protect their land – a stance that is in sharp contrast from Kelantan.

Sivarasa said he will act on individuals who threatened or intimidated the activists.  

None of this, said Syafiq, who has been jailed for manning the Kaleeg blockade, was ever done by the Barisan Nasional administration.

“We feel very fortunate to have a minister like this,” he said of Sivarasa.

Visiting the Orang Asli blockades yesterday, Sivarasa said the ministry will start talks with Kelantan over the community’s land claims.

These claims are at the heart of the conflicts between the Orang Asli and loggers, plantation companies and the Kelantan government.

The state government’s refusal to recognise these claims has allowed agri-businesses to trespass on Orang Asli land and destroy communal forests which provide them food and clean water.  

So, when Sivarasa said Putrajaya will start talks with Kelantan and those talks will include Orang Asli representatives, the minister was cheered.

“This has never happened before. Negotiating for our land and including us in the whole process,” said Syafiq of Pos Simpor, an Orang Asli kampung deep in the Ulu Kelantan jungles.

It wasn’t just Sivarasa’s announcement that won applause. It was also how he conducted a two-way dialogue with Syafiq and the community on their grouses, which included water and electricity supplies to far-flung villages.

Sivarasa also heard how uncontrolled logging had destroyed important water catchment areas and contaminated the supply.

“This shows a government that is really close to our problems,” said Syafiq of the dialogue session, which he said BN never held.  

“It shows the sincerity of this minister and the government,” said Syafiq, a member of the Kelantan Indigenous People’s Network (JKOAK). 

Activist Mustafa Along remembers how a BN minister visited the Cawas blockade soon after it was put up in February.

“He promised to give us two water pumps. But they never came. When he talked about our land claims, he said this was up to the state government as the federal government had no power.”

Constitutionally, land management falls under the state government’s jurisdiction. But Sivarasa showed that even with these constraints, Putrajaya could still push for a solution.

“The federal government still has powers and a role to play. So, we will start the negotiation process. I have contacted the Kelantan government and we are waiting their reply,” Sivarasa told the community.

Although Mustafa knows it’s too early to celebrate, he is hopeful that finally, the community is getting much needed support for its struggle.

“This meeting is a good sign. It is a good response from the minister and this is the government we had hoped for.”

In the meantime, the Orang Asli will continue manning their blockades and stopping loggers from entering their customary lands until their demands are met. – August 3, 2018.