The Gua Musang Blockade

Image credit: http://aliran.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/temiar-blockade-in-Gua-Musang-Jan-2012.jpg

It is sad to read that the indigenous communities in this country continue to be marginalized as the country progresses. It is bad enough to be neglected or worse, forgotten but when they are bullied by those who wield power and influence – then it is time for civil society to put pressure on the authorities so that justice and fairness can prevail. The latest incident is the arrest of thirteen Temiar protesters and a lawyer in Gua Musang on January 28, 2012 over the local community’s attempted blockade to safeguard their community’s interests against the intrusion of loggers into their villages.

This stand-off came about in the wake of a long-standing dispute between the Temiar community and the Kelantan state government over the issue of their ancestral land, a portion of which has been earmarked for an agricultural project dubbed the Ladang Rakyat program.

What is unacceptable is the fact that this confrontation by the Temiars happened in a Pakatan-ruled state, i.e. Kelantan. It is in Pakatan governments that we must expect understanding and compassion to triumph above everything else. They are, after all, our fellow citizens.

The Temiar community and other indigenous groups in the country have as much right as any other Malaysians to their land, livelihood and lifestyle. Their rights must be respected. The PAS government should be supportive of the Orang Asli, the most vulnerable members of Malaysian society because on their own, they are defenseless to stop the voracious march of progress – where powerful interests greedily grab everything in their paths. This ignoble exploitation must cease; otherwise, it will be a blotch on the PAS reputation as well as a dishonor to its Islamist credentials.