Kuala lumpur: The Government has given its assurance to uphold and enhance the rights of the Orang Asli community through amendments to the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 (Act 134), Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the proposed amendments will focus on seven key areas: land, education, health, economy, leadership, infrastructure, and culture.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the current efforts to amend the Act aim to address the lack of substantive revisions since it was first enacted in 1954. Ahmad Zahid emphasized the importance of refining and reassessing the existing provisions under Act 134 comprehensively to identify any implementation gaps. This statement was made during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat, in response to a query by Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) regarding the Government's intentions to amend the Act to ensure the continued protection and advancement of the Orang Asli community.
Ahmad Zahid also highlighted that land administration matters are under the jurisdiction of the respective state governments, as outlined in the Federal Constitution. To address this, the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) plans to conduct engagement sessions with state governments through the Special Meeting of the Orang Asli Consultative Council (MaPOA) to deliberate on land issues affecting the community.
These engagement sessions via MaPOA are deemed crucial before such land issues are presented to the National Land Council (MTN), chaired by the Prime Minister. Furthermore, Ahmad Zahid mentioned that KKDW is actively gathering input through engagements and surveys with Orang Asli leaders and relevant agencies to ensure that the amendments to Act 134 are comprehensive and holistic, taking into account the views of key stakeholders.
Additionally, the implementation of the Orang Asli Development Policy, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), underscores Malaysia's commitment to adopting international best practices to enhance the well-being of the Orang Asli community.