Selangor Journal
The Mah Meri tribe of Carey Island performs their traditional dance during the Indigenous Art Festival at the Shah Alam National Botanical Garden, on August 3, 2019. — Picture by SELANGORKINI

PNSB to consider Mah Meri tribe request for extension of eviction notice

SHAH ALAM, May 14 — The Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB) will look into the request by the Orang Asli Mah Meri tribe for an extension of the eviction notice of the state’s land in Bagan Lalang, Sepang.

In a statement issued today, PNSB said the state agency had received a letter of appeal from the Tok Batin of Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Bangkong.

“We received the appeal letter on April 26 requesting an extension to evict the site.

“Based on the letter, PNSB is open for the next phase of the ongoing negotiation and is ready to consider the residents’ appeal for an extension by taking into account the various current aspects,” it said in response to a report by The Malaysian Insight (TMI) today.

The state-owned subsidiary said the TMI report, which claimed that the Mah Meri tribe were to be evicted for the land to be developed into a tourism site, was inaccurate as the issue had been discussed as early as 2017 with the Sepang Land Office as well as on November 27, 2020, and April 12.

“As a transparent and concerned administration of the people’s issue, the state government has already conducted negotiations with the parties involved through existing procedures and laws.

“PNSB had followed the process and governance procedures in preparing the eviction notice to be submitted to the parties involved,” the statement read.

PNSB said the submission of the notice, with the joint cooperation of the Sepang Land Office and police, was carried out without any objection on April 20.

“The eviction notice was to inform the residents that their premises are encroaching on land owned by PNSB,” it said.

PNSB also clarified that the area is not the original settlement of the Mah Meri tribe and all decisions that will be taken are in accordance with legal procedures.

“All agreements and solutions that will be reached will be based on the concepts of transparency, integrity and humanity,” it added.

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