Pahang govt offers help to Bera Orang Asli, silent on viral confrontation, 'incense pot' kicking

KUALA LUMPUR: The Pahang government is willing to aid the Orang Asli community residing near Tasek Bera, but has faced challenges due to a lack of information regarding the residents in the settlements. Chairman of the Pahang Islamic Religious Affairs, Rural Development and Orang Asli Affairs Committee, Datuk Seri Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad, revealed that there are over seven villages in the vicinity, but only one has submitted the necessary list of residents.

During a recent visit to the Orang Asli communities around Tasek Bera on August 3, the committee head assured the villagers of the state government's commitment to supporting them in maintaining their livelihood. He requested the villagers to provide a list of residents and details of their smallholdings before negotiations could take place on their behalf.

As of now, only the residents of Kampung Lubuk Tihang have submitted the required information to the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa). The remaining villagers have yet to provide the requested details, which they still have time to do so. Jakoa has visited the villages three times to request the list. Approximately 7,000 Orang Asli villagers living in the vicinity are seeking negotiations with the authorities after receiving notices in June, informing them to vacate parts of the Tasek Bera Conservation Forest Reserve, where they allegedly encroached.

Following the notices, the villagers established guard posts at all village entrances and smallholdings near Tasek Bera to deter outsiders, including enforcement personnel, from entering. This resulted in the arrest of five villagers on September 15. Syed Ibrahim emphasized that the list is crucial for Jakoa to gather necessary data, including the locations and sizes of homes and farms, as well as the number of family members, in order to assess applications.

This information would enable the state government to identify genuine residents and determine how assistance could be provided, such as discussing the land. He clarified that the Pahang government's willingness to help means they will negotiate on behalf of the villagers. While the government understands that the villagers have been occupying land within a forest reserve and Ramsar site, they cannot claim ownership simply because they have been living there for an extended period.

The list of names and locations would also enable authorities to decide which sections of the land could potentially be gazetted for the villagers, ensuring proper documentation and preventing scattered settlements throughout the forest reserve. Syed Ibrahim expressed concern that outsiders might be exploiting the situation by illegally occupying land or manipulating the Orang Asli community.

He stated that the villagers initially agreed to submit the information but later refused to cooperate, and it is difficult to comprehend why they would not want to provide their names. He suspected that someone might be influencing them. The New Straits Times has contacted Kampung Pathir Tok Batin Amir Noor Tan for comment.