IT is only right that the government has at last taken positive steps to give the Orang Asli a place in the sun, what with the recent passing of a declaration on the Indigenous People’s Rights by the United Nations and also Malaysia’s part in the declaration as it recognises their rights to land, resources and cultural traditions.

The conditions for the land and its titles are also commendable as this will ensure that unscrupulous parties are kept at bay and the Orang Asli are protected.

However, a number of questions come to mind: are the titles to be given individually? Will the titles be given immediately or do they wait for the trees to mature first?

Will the Orang Asli benefit directly from the land and be first-hand beneficiaries or do they have to go through third parties to get to their land?

The idea of getting government agencies, private corporations and cooperatives to cultivate the land leaves a lot of loopholes and again puts the Orang Asli in a vulnerable position. Who foots the bill for seedlings and maintenance of the land as well as produce?

Will the profits from cultivation be given directly to the land owners or will there be a fee charged by these corporations? How do the private companies come into the picture?

Furthermore, they will not have access to the land until after five to seven years. What do they do in the meantime? Where do they get their income from?

And what if they want to use a small portion of the land as a vegetable plot so they don’t have to depend on external sources for their daily requirements?

What about their housing land? Can they start building immediately or do they have to wait for five to seven years, too? What if someone else uses the land promised to them for other purposes?

Perhaps, a developer may build houses there and rent or sell them while the Orang Asli wait for their land titles. Anything can happen.

Many promises have been made to bequeath land to the first and original people of the country. However, very few of these promises have been kept. In fact, huge chunks of kuasa land have been given to private-sector investors.

I have forwarded letters to that effect to many quarters but have not received any replies to my queries.

There have been newspaper reports on promises of dividends and land to the Orang Asli in 2005 and 2006. But to this day, the Orang Asli are in the dark as to what is happening. No individuals or government departments have contacted them regarding the land or dividends.

Every year, more promises are made in the media but no action has been forthcoming. No follow-through and no implementation. As no one is checking on implementation and the Orang Asli are isolated, no one is any wiser as to their true predicament.

The government must make good on its promises. Only then can the rakyat support and appreciate its role in nation-building.

We pray the Orang Asli are given their due rights before the next general election and all the help given to upgrade their living standards, allowing them to be the lawful owners of their land.

DATUK ANTHONY RATOS, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – December 3, 2008