PLEDGE TO ORANG ASLI
PM, at first-ever Orang Asli convention, says government is determined to change their economic fortunes.
THE interests of the Orang Asli community, from their education to economic development, remain a key priority of the government, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Dr Mahathir said the government remained committed to fulfilling Promise 38 in Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto to champion the wellbeing of the Orang Asal in Peninsular Malaysia and to implement changes for the sake of the interests and livelihood of the Orang Asli community.
Dr Mahathir said the government’s seriousness in helping the community was demonstrated in shifting the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) from the Rural Development Ministry to the supervision of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator P. Waytha Moorthy.
“This is meant to optimise the use of resources and ensure its direction and function are in line with the role of the department,” he said, adding that the government was mulling measures to upgrade and strengthen Jakoa so that the department would be more effective in discharging its responsibilities to safeguard the interests of the Orang Asli and develop them.
Dr Mahathir was speaking at the 2019 National Orang Asli Convention, which was being held for the first time to address major issues faced by the Orang Asli community in the peninsula.
Present were Waytha Moorthy
and several other ministers.
Input and responses gathered during the convention would be used in the preparation of a National Orang Asli Community Development Blueprint.
The convention would also focus on seven main issues faced by the community, which are land, education, health, economy, infrastructure, leadership and culture.
Dr Mahathir said based on statistics, out of 853 Orang Asli settlements, 84 per cent enjoyed road facilities, water supply (79 per cent) and the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme (82 per cent).
He said efforts to enhance the Orang Asli community’s education level would remain the government’s primary agenda.
“This effort should be intensified with the cooperation of various authorities through the provision of better and increased education infrastructures, as well as implementing awareness campaigns on the importance of education. Education would also enable the Orang Asli community to compete with others.”
He said 1,090 Orang Asli students were pursuing their studies in public higher education institutions nationwide.
“This figure signals that the Orang Asli community have realised the importance of education.
“There are also Orang Asli students who had completed their degrees, master’s and doctorates at universities abroad.”
Dr Mahathir said the Orang Asli students’ high academic achievements also signalled that the community was ready to have a leader step forward and play an important role in representing the community and the country.
Dr Mahathir said the government would also ensure that its aim of the Orang Asli community receiving formal education was achieved.
“For that, the government will continue to help Orang Asli students through the Education Assistance Scheme by Jakoa.”
Dr Mahathir expressed confidence that ecotourism could contribute to the economic development of the Orang Asli community.
The eco-tourism sector, he said, would create job opportunities and encourage the community, especially youth, to become entrepreneurs.
“This sector would increase their earnings, such as via handicraft items, as well as forestbased downstream products manufacturers.
“This could also encourage youth from the community to be involved in the field of entrepreneurship,” he said.
One of the delegates, Batin Mohamad Nohing of Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Rok, Pahang, said he was excited to deliver his speech before Dr Mahathir.
“I believe the current government will improve the fate of the Orang Asli.
“And, there are about 250,000 Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia.”
Mohamad urged the government to look into the issue of customary native land, stressing that the land was important for the community to grow their food, as well as for medicinal resources.
Page 1 pic: An Orang Asli from the Temuan tribe at an outreach programme in Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Tadom near Banting, Selangor, earlier this month.