PETALING JAYA, April 24: Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (PEKA) today called for an investigation into how an ancestral land belonging to the Orang Asli in Kampung Chang Lama, Bidur, came to be under the name of a quarry company, Siong Emas Sdn Bhd.
In a statement here today, PEKA said it was shocked over a statement made by Perak Menteri Besar Dato Seri Saarani Mohamad on an ongoing dispute on the land — “If it is true that (encroachment on Orang Asli land) did happen, I would have to go to the area, but since (the claims) are not true, why would I have to go down?”
MalaysiaKini today carried the statement made by the chief minister in a report on the ongoing land dispute in the area.
PEKA’s president Rajesh Nagarajan said the chief minister should not be making an assumption that there had been no land encroachment in the area.
He has prematurely determined that no trespass has occurred without even going down to the land and speaking to the affected people.
Rajesh said that there was also a need to show that the affected Orang Asli people had been consulted on this matter and proof that their consent was obtained for the passing of the land title, which now belongs to the quarry company.
“Shouldn’t he, at the very least, speak to the Orang Asli to investigate and mitigate whatever hardship the Orang Asli are facing now?,” said Rajesh.
Immediate investigations must be carried out on how a private company obtained the land title to an Orang Asli ancestral land, he said, adding that the government has the duty as provided under the Federal Constitution to positively discriminate in favour of the Orang Asli when dealing with any issue affecting them.
–WE