[UPDATED] 'Please have mercy': Tasek Bera Orang Asli seek talks over eviction
BERA: Orang Asli villagers living near Tasek Bera are seeking negotiations with the authorities after receiving notices in June ordering them to vacate parts of the forest reserve, saying the land has been their source of livelihood for generations.
![[UPDATED] 'Please have mercy': Tasek Bera Orang Asli seek talks over eviction](/img/7775813)
The Orang Asli villagers living near Bera Lake in Pahang are seeking discussions with authorities after being notified to leave portions of the forest reserve in June. The Semelai community claims their families have depended on the land for more than five decades, relying on rubber and oil palm plantations for their livelihood. They are now facing eviction and want a dialogue with the authorities to consider their long-standing ties to the customary land (tanah adat).
On September 14, enforcement teams attempted to enter several villages and smallholdings, including Kampung Pathir, but were stopped by villagers who had erected barriers. The tense situation led to the arrest of five people, mostly women. Tok Batin Amir Noor Tan, 49, explained that several Orang Asli villages around Bera Lake received pink warning notices from the Forestry Department for allegedly encroaching into the permanent forest reserve.
Despite lodging a police report and setting up guard posts, the villagers' concerns were not acted upon.
Amir Noor said enforcement agencies led by the Pahang State Enforcement Unit conducted drone surveillance without seeking permission or mentioning they would measure the villagers' land. The situation escalated when the enforcement team tried to enter the village, leading to the arrests. Over 7,000 Orang Asli live in 11 settlements surrounding the lake, which is the main settlement area for the Semelai tribe in Pahang.
Amir Noor expressed frustration, stating that the village leaders are no longer consulted before authorities enter a village. He emphasized that the villagers have lived there for generations, even before Bera Lake was gazetted as a Ramsar site. The New Straits Times visited several settlements near Bera Lake, where most had guard posts, but villagers were hesitant to speak.
Zaitun Gosi, 60, warned that if the forest reserve land is taken, the villagers would have no land to work on. Villager Lama Kaya, 60, expressed uncertainty about the future of the Orang Asli community living by the lake.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
