WITH reference to your report “20,000ha gazetted for Orang Asli reserve” (New Sunday Times, Sept 21) we wish to respond to some of the comments made by the Department of Orang Asli Affairs, specifically the following:

“The department described the foiled march to Istana Negara last Saturday as an attempt by certain parties to hijack the Orang Asli agenda to portray themselves as heroes championing native rights.

“Director-general Mohd Sani Mistam said that the natives, influenced by NGOs into joining the march, had nothing to do with it.”

The Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) is a 10- year-old network of Malaysian indigenous peoples’ organisations. This means we are made up of natives from across Malaysia.

During the march, we had Orang Asal from eight states namely Johor, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak. We, the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, had everything to do with the march.

Unlike the Department of Orang Asli Affairs, JOAS is made up of and governed by indigenous peoples’ organisations. Our programme staff and leaders are indigenous peoples. While we are grateful for the help of non-indigenous friends, they assist at our request and with our consent.

We find it insulting that in this day and age the department still thinks of Orang Asal as being unable to make up their own mind and that, if we are not convinced by the department’s policy, we must have been influenced by some other body.

In 2007, Alah Beling, the Penan leader said, “I am not instigated by anyone. I am instigated by my own stomach.”

Our continuing poverty, which is continued through bad policy and bad interpretation of our customary laws and international rights, has driven us to make a statement. This statement is that more should be done for our people and that we are simply asking Malaysia to locally implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP) which contains all the rights and conditions necessary to ensure a fully developed and secure Orang Asal community in Malaysia.

We invite the department to engage with JOAS for a discussion on the issue, or even to study the DRIP and learn about ways to justly ensure good governance for Orang Asal.

Indigenous peoples, whe-ther from Sabah, Sarawak or peninsular Malaysia, are an integral part of this nation and our issues need to be discussed in public spaces and not swept under the carpet. For this, we thank the New Straits Times for its coverage of Orang Asal issues.

ADRIAN LASIMBANG, President, Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia

Source: NST – September 25, 2008