Extracted from Malaysiakini

 

Indigenous reps pass memo to S'wak state assembly

Tony Thien | Nov 10, 08 6:45pm

 

More than 100 representatives of indigenous communities from throughout Sarawak came together today in Kuching to hand a five-page memorandum to the Sarawak State Assembly.

The are pleading to the state’s 71 assembly persons to help them save their ancestral lands and stop the continued erosion of their rights.

They handed the Bahasa Malaysia memorandum to Abang Othman - the state assembly clerk receiving on behalf of speaker Awang Asfia Awang Nassar- at the steps of the main entrance to the assembly building.

Present were opposition legislators Dominique Ng Kim Ho (PKR-Padungan) and Voon Lee Shan (DAP-Batu Lintang). Three other DAP lawmakers - Violet Young (Pending), Chiew Chin Sing (Kidurong) and Ting Tze Ming (Meradong) - joined in later.

The peaceful gathering was monitored closely by a large police contingent and watched from distance by other elected representatives from the Barisan Nasional as well as building staff.

The indigenous peoples delegation was led by four main NGOs - Tanah Hak Adat Bangsa Asal (Tahabas), Jaringan Orang Asal Malaysia (JOAS),Borneo Resources Institute (Brimas) and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) .

The Dayak based NGOs represent main groups like Orang Ulu, Bidayuh and Iban whose rightst are compromised by logging and plantation activities - over 200 civil suits have been filed for land encroachment.

Opposition voice

The group remonstrated that their ancestral lands were often taken away with little or no compensation, and in violation of their native customary rights on lands.

Most of their ire was targeted at Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, for allegedly giving land to logging and plantation companies.

They brandished banners, among them read: ‘Taib, Sarawak is not your personal property’, Jangan cereboh tanah kami(don’t trespass our land) and ‘...don’t give Orang Asal land to logging and plantation companies’.

After the handover, the PKR representative Ng in addressed the crowd, assuring them that the seven opposition legislators will carry the voice of the indigenous peoples into the House.

He also thanked the police for their professionalism, in controlling the crowd and being patient.