Kuala lumpur: The Pahang state government has announced plans to engage the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA), the Pahang Land and Mines Office (PTG), and the Land and District Office to address ongoing land disputes involving the Orang Asli community in Kampung Sungai Cot, Maran. Datuk Seri Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad, the State Islamic Religious Affairs, Rural Development and Orang Asli Affairs Committee chairman, emphasized that the matter will be approached prudently, adhering to legal frameworks and a consultative approach to ensure a beneficial outcome for all stakeholders.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Pahang state government aims to clarify misconceptions surrounding the current land dispute issues linked to the Orang Asli community in the area. In a recent statement, Datuk Seri Syed Ibrahim highlighted that 12 Orang Asli individuals claimed cultivation rights to the land through a written appeal to JAKOA. However, the land had also been approved for a company by the 32nd State Executive Council (MMK) on November 4, 2015.

Further discussions have been initiated by JAKOA with representatives of the affected Orang Asli to resolve overlapping claims. Preliminary dialogues revealed that only six individuals are actively pursuing claims through JAKOA, asserting ancestral land rights. However, such claims have yet to be substantiated by relevant authorities based on existing records and facts.

Currently, Pahang is home to 264 Orang Asli villages, housing over 90,000 registered residents, with 30 villages already gazetted under various sections of the Orang Asli Act 1954 and the National Land Code. The state government has also approved land ownership grants for 16 villages under Section 76 of the National Land Code.

Syed Ibrahim further disclosed that 75 applications for land gazettement for the Orang Asli community are underway, with 31 applications ready for MMK Meeting consideration, while 44 applications involving land overlaps are being resolved. Additionally, 143 applications are in the initial measurement phase by JAKOA.