Orang Asli seek forgiveness, audience with Johor Sultan amid land controversy

JOHOR BAHRU – The Orang Asli community is outraged by the actions of the Jaringan Perkampungan Orang Asli Johor (JPOAJ), which protested against the proposal to convert their land into Sultan's Land by staging a demonstration in front of the Johor Menteri Besar Office in Iskandar Puteri on May 8.

Representing the Tok Batin of Kampung Orang Asli Kemidak, Hadi Baya, stated that the actions of JPOAJ do not represent approximately 20,000 Orang Asli people in the state.

"Today, we come forward to express our regret for what happened on behalf of the entire Orang Asli population of the state of Johor.

"On behalf of the entire Orang Asli community in Johor, we humbly seek forgiveness and apologise to His Majesty the Sultan of Johor for what transpired recently.

"We also request an audience with His Majesty to express our discontent, seek forgiveness, and demonstrate our support to His Majesty the Sultan of Johor, who has always shown concern for the welfare of the Johor Orang Asli community," he said in a statement on Monday.

He added that they will always cooperate with and support the state and federal governments in the development of the Orang Asli community, including in the areas of education, socio-economic well-being, and overall development.

On March 16, Sultan Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, proposed the conversion of Orang Asli land into Sultan's Land to prevent exploitation.

However, on May 8, a group of Orang Asli protested against the proposal and submitted a memorandum of objection regarding Sultan's Land to the Johor government at the Johor Chief Minister's Office in Iskandar Puteri.

Following this, the JPOAJ chairman, Dolah Tekoi, stated that immediate discussions should be held between their organisation and the state government regarding the proposal.