By Zareef Muzammil
HULU LANGAT, July 8 — Selangor is set to gazette all of its 74 Orang Asli villages in three years’ time, says state executive councillor Hee Loy Sian.
The chairman of the permanent committee on matters pertaining to the well-being of the Orang Asli community said several of the villages have been successfully gazetted while the remaining areas will be done in stages.
“We are working closely with the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) and we are aiming to have this settled by 2023 so that they (the Orang Asli community) would have the rights over their native customary land.
“They would then not have to worry about being ordered to vacate their land should there be any development activities in their area,” said Hee during the handing over ceremony of tables and chairs to the Village Community Management Councils (MPKK) of the Hulu Langat Orang Asli village at the Balai Raya Kampung Orang Asli (KOA) in Kuala Pangsun, here, yesterday.
Hee said the state government has allocated RM1.5 million to Jakoa to conduct land surveys of the Orang Asli customary lands in Selangor.
“We are determined to help them (get their lands), therefore we will provide Jakoa the funding to do the land surveys to ease the degazetting process of the villages,” he said.
There are a total of 22 Orang Asli villages in Kuala Langat, 16 in Hulu Selangor, 15 in Sepang (15), 12 in Gombak and Petaling each, and nine in Hulu Langat.
Hee said that the state government will also cooperate with Jakao to resolve any housing issues of the people in the Kuala Pangsun villages, such as installing a solar panel system for electricity source along the routes entering the villages.
Meanwhile, Hee said the Orang Asli community should be given equal access to job opportunities, especially the youths.
He said this would improve the socioeconomic status of the community and as a result help support the families.
“Many of the Orang Asli people don’t go into the forests anymore to make a living. Therefore we have the responsibility to ensure that they get equal opportunities to job openings as well,” he said.
