Villagers apologise after viral clash with police

New Straits Times

27-05-2025

PEKAN: An altercation between a group of Orang Asli villagers from Kampung Arong and the police, which went viral on social media, stemmed from a misunderstanding related to land matters.
Pekan police chief Superintendent Mohd Zaidi Mat Zin said the villagers had expressed anger towards officers from the Paloh Hinai police station, who had gone to the settlement on Saturday to defuse the tense situation.
"Investigations revealed that land surveyors had visited the site, located next to a factory, on May 23 (Friday) to conduct survey works.
Some Orang Asli villagers obstructed them from carrying out their duties, prompting the surveyors to lodge a police report.
"Around 10am on May 24, the Paloh Hinai police station chief and several officers went to Kampung Arong to explain the presence of the surveyors.
"However, the situation escalated.
"Police advised the villagers to adhere to the law and allow the survey work to proceed, but some reacted provocatively and used abusive language.
"To prevent the situation from worsening, the police team decided to leave the settlement and return to the station," he said when contacted today.
Zaidi said that the next day, a group of villagers from Kampung Arong turned up at the Paloh Hinai police station around 4pm to apologise for their actions.
"Police have decided not to pursue further action, as the villagers have expressed remorse.
"Yesterday, the Orang Asli villagers also attended a meeting at the factory site in Paloh Hinai, which included representatives from the police and the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa).
"The meeting was arranged to ensure that all parties, including the Orang Asli, understood the situation clearly to prevent similar issues in future," he said.
A five-minute and 17-second video capturing the verbal confrontation between the villagers and police went viral on social media yesterday.
Meanwhile, Pahang Jakoa director Adam Zaidi Mahidin said the incident was due to a misunderstanding that has since been resolved.
"The Orang Asli community had not been properly informed about the actual leasehold land area granted by the Pahang State Secretary Corporation to a private company for development purposes.
"The land in question was previously the site of the Kampung Arong Orang Asli settlement before the villagers were relocated. However, crops belonging to the community and an old cemetery still remain at the original site," he told the Pahang Media news portal.