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Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
NGO hands over memo to govt on Orang Asli land rights
National unity minister Aaron Ago Dagang at the 2025 Indigenous Peoples Day celebration held at the Tadom Hills Resort in Banting today. (Bernama pic) BANTING : Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS), a network of 120 indigenous peoples organisations in Malaysia, today submitted a memorandum to the national unity ministry in conjunction with the celebration of the 2025 Indigenous Peoples Day. The memorandum was presented by JOAS president Hellan Empaing Anak Chi Tungkat to national unity minister Aaron Ago Dagang at the launch of the celebration at Tadom Hill Resort here today. The document sought to reaffirm their rights to land, customary territories and natural resources; recognise the leadership role of indigenous peoples in addressing climate change and managing resources; and strengthen intergenerational voices, particularly among youth. It also calls for inclusive and accountable governance, while valuing cultural resilience and the deep connections to customary lands and territories. Aaron said the ministry would carefully review the memorandum before making any further decisions on the issues raised. 'This memorandum will be studied by the government, and the concerns expressed will be given serious attention,' he said when met after opening the ceremony here today. He said the government had always recognised the Orang Asli community as an important part of the nation's identity and a vital contributor to preserving Malaysia's cultural diversity, which he described as one of the country's greatest strengths. 'The Madani government, through the 13th Malaysia Plan, is giving serious focus to improving the quality of life of the Orang Asli community in a comprehensive and integrated manner. 'One of the key priorities under this strategy is the review of the Orang Asli Act 1954 (Act 134) to strengthen the protection of the community's rights and dignity.' He also called on the community to take a more active role in participating and building cooperation with the Rukun Tetangga in their respective areas. He said such involvement would not only foster stronger social bonds and a neighbourhood spirit but also provide the Orang Asli with better access to local development programmes. 'In addition, the government will continue to fully support initiatives to preserve the language, oral heritage and cultural arts of the indigenous community. 'This cultural heritage is not only a national treasure that must be safeguarded but also contains traditional knowledge and values that are crucial in tackling global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss.' The 2025 Indigenous Day, themed 'Protect the Earth, Restore the Land, Regreen the Future – Through Indigenous Wisdom', is celebrated annually to honour the identity, culture, contributions and rights of indigenous peoples.
ABC News
31-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
The broken promise that has loomed over 25 years of Garma
From the pain of a broken political promise and one community's desire to push forward, the Garma festival was born. Warning: This story contains images of Indigenous people who have died. The event, now celebrating its 25th year, will this weekend draw thousands of people from across Australia and around the world to a remote corner of Arnhem Land. The Yolŋu people have for decades been tireless fighters for land rights, economic empowerment, and First Nations decision-making, but know more must be done. From the Gumatj clan's ceremonial grounds, the festival has become a powerful political platform, where the nation's leaders come to listen. "We are still here, our languages, our clan languages are still strong, we still dance, it's been passed down for thousands of years," Yolŋu elder Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs said. The prime minister and several of his senior ministers are expected to attend this weekend, along with representatives from the NT government and leaders of key national and state agencies. This year's festival comes at a time when many First Nations communities are once again searching for a way forward. On the minds of many is the lack of progress following the 2023 rejected Voice referendum, rising deaths in custody, and Closing the Gap targets that are not being met. Governments in Queensland and the Northern Territory have wound back treaty and truth-telling processes, and tough-on-crime policies are leading to a rise in youth incarceration. Just three years ago, Anthony Albanese came to Garma to announce the words that would be put to the Australian public at the Voice referendum, underlining his desire for change. The Yolŋu leaders at Garma played a key role in advocating for constitutional reform and the Voice in recent years, seeing it as a key in their fight for equity and agency. But the Last year on festival grounds, Mr Albanese said "together, we gave our all, and we fell short," but promised his government "remained committed to Makarrata". Makarrata is a Yolŋu word, now used to refer to a truth-telling, healing, and justice process, is one of the unfulfilled desires of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. But since then, there has been no clear direction from the Albanese government about when or what that looks like. "A lot of people are still thinking about treaty, referendum, but [this year], mostly I think conversation will be on education," Ms Ganambarr-Stubbs said. The Yolŋu elder has fought for decades for on-country learning and language programs. "There are little communities right across north-east Arnhem Land, that have no jobs, or people can't find jobs," she said. "There is a problem with literacy and lack of English, and we have always wanted to change that." At last year's festival, the prime minister said the government would switch its focus in Indigenous policy towards the economic empowerment of First Nations communities. He also pledged $20 million for a new tertiary education centre to be led by Yolŋu people and called the Garma Institute. The festival's theme this year is "law of the land standing firm". It is run by the Yothu Yindi foundation, which represents the five clans of the Yolŋu people — Gumatj, Rirratjingu, Djapu, Galpu, Wangurri. It shares its name with the popular band, whose founding members were also integral in setting up the community organisation. Djawa Yunupingu is now the foundation's chairman and wrote about the original aspiration of the festival's organisers in this year's welcome brochure. "My brothers stood on the escarpment at Gulkula, looked out and said: 'This is our place, a place of our ancestors, our father's country, and we should celebrate this place," he wrote. His brothers, Mandawuy Yunupingu and Galarrwuy Yunupingu, were Australians of the Year who were propelled onto the national stage with their band Yothu Yindi. Garma was born in 1999, about eight years after the band had released their hit single, Treaty, and more than a decade on since First Nations people had been promised one by the nation's leader. "It was a time when it was painful to drive the Central Arnhem Highway to Barunga, because it reminded us too much of the hollow words of a prime minister," Djawa Yunupingu wrote. That prime minister was Labor leader Bob Hawke, who in 1988 told a gathering at Barunga Festival in the Northern Territory, "There will be a treaty." "Only to walk away from us, like his words were writing in the sand," wrote Mr Yunupingu. "In our law, words of promise are sacred, so from that disappointment, my brothers wanted to start something new and make a new pathway." The community refused to let broken political promises hold them back, said Denise Bowden, Yothu Yindi chief executive. "In terms of how our community leads, we lead and we're prepared to be at the table to talk through any of those challenging incidents," she said. "I think the success story for this region is we don't wait for policymakers to implement these decisions, we move ahead as best we possibly can." The Garma festival has been designed to celebrate the strength and survival of the Yolŋu people's culture and customs, and celebrate the creative success of their small community. But, despite their national leadership and abundant talent, the Yolŋu people are burdened by poor health and social outcomes. Their people are expected to die younger and poorer than non-Indigenous Australians, their children less likely to finish school or get jobs. "You will feel some of this grief in the air at Garma this year as Yolŋu people face up to the loss of special people who leave us too young and too often," wrote Mr Yunupingu. The community has pushed ahead with trying to bring reforms to their people, and with each festival hope those who come to listen will help them bring about change. The festival will attract important leaders, but Denise Bowden hopes they do more than just listen to the story and struggle of the Yolŋu people. "It's really important to listen, but it's also important to do. I sometimes feel we overlook the action part of our society. "We tend to find things too hard in the Indigenous affairs, but the doing part is really important."
Zawya
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Africa: Advancing gender responsive land governance and women's land tenure security
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is convening a high-level regional workshop to advance gender-responsive land governance across the continent. As part of the multi-country initiative on Gender-Responsive Land Governance in Africa, the July 22-23 workshop reflects a deepened commitment to transforming land governance systems to ensure that African women are empowered with secure and equitable land rights. Land remains one of Africa's most vital yet contested natural resources, central to food security, livelihoods, inclusive growth, and community resilience. For women, land serves not only as an economic asset but also as a foundation for agency, decision-making power, and social protection. Despite their indispensable role in rural economies, women continue to face structural barriers to accessing, owning, and controlling land, rooted in discriminatory norms, legal pluralism, and unequal power relations. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these disparities, underscoring the importance of secure land tenure in strengthening resilience against economic and climate shocks. In response, ECA and its partners initiated a project across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea, Malawi, and Tanzania, assisting Member States in developing and applying inclusive, gender-sensitive land policies and legal reforms. The regional workshop will provide a participatory platform for stakeholders—including government actors, civil society, traditional leaders, and development partners—to validate policy outputs, share experiences, and co-create strategies to secure women's land rights. Participants will engage in hands-on training sessions grounded in AU policy frameworks, such as the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa, and apply analytical tools to drive reform within their national contexts. Expected outcomes of the workshop include strengthened stakeholder capacities, validated national action plans, improved monitoring and evaluation tools, and reinforced political commitment to gender equality in land governance. This workshop marks a critical step toward realizing the ambitions of Agenda 2063, the Maputo Protocol, and the Sustainable Development Goals, and ensuring that land governance systems work for all Africans, especially women. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
