PETALING JAYA: With their homes and ancestral lands under threat, more than 100 Orang Asli representatives from Kelantan protested the planned construction of the Nenggiri hydroelectric dam.
They are members of the Kelantan Network of Orang Asli Villages, representing some 3,000 Orang Asli from 17 tribes.
Its chairman Mustafa Along said the group would also like to ask for support and cooperation from all, including political parties, civil societies, non-governmental organisations, academicians, consultants, civil servants and others, to mobilise a national campaign to stop the construction of the dam.
“The Orang Asli community is aware of the huge price it will have to pay if the dam is built,” said Mustafa.
The group claims its ancestral lands, homes and even burial site will be flooded by the dam.
“There are more than 17 Orang Asli subgroups involved but only two of them received compensation.
“That is all a show because the rest of us (Orang Asli) living in the area are against this plan.”
Mustafa said the group plans to take legal action against the state government.
“We ask that the government and all those involved respect the rights of the Orang Asli community to maintain their customs, ancestral lands and forests in accordance with the rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution and in laws such as the Orang Asli Act 1954 and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Declaration signed by Malaysia in 2007.”
The group has put forth a less risky alternative, proposing the construction of small dams in the areas around Machang and Tanah Merah as well as in Pasir Mas to deal with floods and water issues during droughts.
The group’s proposal is similar to the alternative proposal submitted by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage.
Meanwhile, in a statement yesterday, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) said the company acknowledges the concerns brought forward by the group and wishes to assure it that TNB has and will continue to take all the necessary steps to address and mitigate all issues and matters that have been brought to its attention.
“Since 2015, TNB has worked closely with the government and relevant stakeholders to carry out this project in full compliance with the legal and regulatory requirements set by the authorities, including the Orang Asli Development Department and Wildlife and National Parks Department,” it said.