“They were defending their land” – NGO Condemns Arrest of 21 Orang Asli Community Members in Pahang

21 Orang Asli community members were arrested yesterday (9 February) to assist in investigations into the alleged encroachment of land owned by the Sultan of Pahang in Kampung Jemeri, Kuala Rompin.

According to a report by BERNAMA, Rompin District Police Chief Superintendent Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi stated that his department had received a report from a party appointed to cultivate the land.

“The company representative claimed that a group of Orang Asli trespassed, damaged iron bars, and cut down oil palm trees on a 718.281-hectare plantation owned by the Sultan of Pahang without permission,” he stated.

Defending their customary land

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has since condemned the arrests, claiming that the Orang Asli community members were “defending their customary land rights from encroachment.”

PSM’s Member of the Bureau of Environment, Climate Crisis, and Indigenous People (BAKO), Aein Aneera, shared a statement regarding the matter:

“We understand that a foreign private company has encroached on the Orang Asli’s customary land and taken their oil palm produce. Immediately after these unjust arrests, the police also confiscated their mobile phones and failed to inform [families] of their whereabouts. As of this evening, they are still in detention, and there is no news of their status.”

“The private company in question has illegally placed an iron barrier in the Kampung Jemeri community area, preventing residents from carrying out their daily activities in an area that serves as the source of their economy. This action clearly violates the rights of the Orang Asli community in Malaysia to their customary land,” she wrote.

PSM has demanded the release of the detained community members while emphasising their right to defend their ancestral lands.

“Therefore, enforcement authorities should instead ensure that the rights of the Orang Asli customary lands are preserved and not encroached upon by any private party.”

What do you think about this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.

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