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Wednesday 27 April 2011

Orang Asli suing Kelantan government over land dispute

The Orang Asli of Pos Belatim in Gua Musang is seeking legal action to stop the Kelantan government from contracting out their land to a private corporation for development purposes.

PETALING JAYA: The Orang Asli of Pos Belatim in Gua Musang is seeking a court order to stop the Kelantan government from carrying out a project on their land.

The Centre for Orang Asli Concerns said in a statement that the Kota Baru High Court will hear an application for a judicial review sought by the Orang Asli today.

The Temiar-Orang Asli recently discovered that their traditional lands have been contracted out by the Kelantan government to be developed by a private company as an oil palm plantation on a 99-year lease.

Such a practice is already widespread in Kelantan as part of the state’s effort at land reform and agricultural development under the Ladang Rakyat concept, the statement said.

The majority of the Orang Asli in Kelantan, however, do not agree with this project as it means they will lose much of their land and even of their identity.

According to the statement, the Temiars of Pos Belatim are seeking, among other declarations, a certiorari order from the court to stop the Kelantan government from carrying out the project and from giving their land to the private corporation.

Representatives from the community are travelling from their interior homeland and will be in court today.

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