Latest news with #OrangAsliDevelopmentDepartment
The Star
4 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Orang Asli Development Dept brings essential services to remote villages
GUA MUSANG: The Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa), together with various government agencies, has launched an outreach expedition to deliver essential services to three remote Orang Asli settlements in the Nenggiri state constituency under the Mesra Rakyat programme. Jakoa director-general Datuk Sapiah Mohd Nor said the programme brings together the Social Welfare Department, National Registration Department (NRD), Health Ministry, National Anti-Drugs Agency, Gua Musang Court, South Kelantan Development Authority and the Nenggiri state assemblyman's service centre to help the villages. She said the collaboration aimed to facilitate direct access to government services for the Orang Asli, without requiring them to endure long and difficult journeys to town, with Pos Simpor, Pos Pasik and Kuala Wook selected as the destinations for the two-day expedition, which began Saturday (May 31). "This initiative is the result of coordination among various agencies under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry," she told reporters during the programme at Pos Pasik, here Sunday. Meanwhile, Nenggiri assemblyman Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani said the initiative received overwhelming support from local residents, who took advantage of the chance to engage directly with various government agencies present. The most popular service was the NRD counter, which received about 140 applications for identity card replacements, 10 late birth registration applications, and 145 applications for MyKid. "A total of 138 advisory services were also provided to residents regarding documentation and citizenship rights," he said. Meanwhile, for Zulaina Alim, 30, a Temiar woman living in Pos Pasik, the programme marked a turning point in her life when she finally managed to register the birth of her child, who is now 12 years old. She said her child was born at the Kuala Betis resettlement scheme health clinic, but she had to return to her village, more than 70km away from Gua Musang shortly after giving birth, causing the registration to be delayed for more than a decade. "I came today solely to apply for the birth certificate and the process went smoothly. My child will finally have a birth certificate," she said. - Bernama
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
No financial constraints, Pos Balar bridge reconstruction to begin soon
GUA MUSANG: The reconstruction of the collapsed bridge at Pos Balar is now in the final stage of procurement and is expected to begin shortly, according to the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) director-general Datuk Sapiah Mohd Nor. She dismissed claims that financial issues had delayed the project, saying swift action was taken after the bridge collapsed on March 9. 'For any infrastructure project, including the Pos Balar bridge, procurement must comply with government procedures. 'This process involves budget allocation and technical assessments. The procurement decision has been finalised and construction is scheduled to start this month,' she said during a media briefing in Pos Pasik today. JAKOA has allocated RM400,000 for the project, which will see the construction of a more resilient and safer bridge for the remote Orang Asli community. 'The new design considers the area's geography and terrain, with weather conditions also influencing the construction specifications,' Sapiah said. Media reports yesterday noted that the collapsed bridge had yet to be repaired. The reports also called for intervention from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to expedite the reconstruction.
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Pos Balar bridge reconstruction to begin soon
GUA MUSANG: The reconstruction of the collapsed bridge at Pos Balar is now in the final stage of procurement and is expected to begin shortly, according to the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) director-general Datuk Sapiah Mohd Nor. She dismissed claims that financial issues had delayed the project, saying swift action was taken after the bridge collapsed on March 9. 'For any infrastructure project, including the Pos Balar bridge, procurement must comply with government procedures. 'This process involves budget allocation and technical assessments. The procurement decision has been finalised and construction is scheduled to start this month,' she said during a media briefing in Pos Pasik today. JAKOA has allocated RM400,000 for the project, which will see the construction of a more resilient and safer bridge for the remote Orang Asli community. 'The new design considers the area's geography and terrain, with weather conditions also influencing the construction specifications,' Sapiah said. Media reports yesterday noted that the collapsed bridge had yet to be repaired. The reports also called for intervention from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to expedite the reconstruction.
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Rep wants more homes for Orang Asli in Bekok
Tan says there is a need for houses with running water and electricity for the Orang Asli community in Bekok, Segamat. MORE housing units for the Orang Asli community are needed in Bekok, says its assemblyman Tan Chong. He said many from the community had voiced hope for Johor government to address the lack of houses for them in the constituency in Segamat district. 'I often receive complaints from Orang Asli village chiefs on the need to increase housing, complete with water and electricity supplies, for them. 'To my knowledge, more than 140 applications from the community in Bekok have been submitted to Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) for houses,' he told the state assembly during a debate session at Bangunan Sultan Ismail in Kota Iskandar. Tan said at present, there were six Orang Asli villages in his constituency – Kampung Kudung, Kampung RPS Tembayan, Kampung Tamok, Kampung Kemidak, Kampung Selai dan Kampung Lenek. 'We hope the state government through Jakoa will consider their requests so that the Orang Asli can live comfortably.' He also highlighted that better roads were needed between Kampung Lenek and Kampung Baru Sungai Karas in Labis. Tan said the distance between the two villages was 6km but the time taken to travel between them was long due to lack of proper roads. 'Residents wanting to travel to Labis town for daily errands have to take the long way using Jalan Utama Segamat-Yong Peng. 'If proper roads can be constructed, it will benefit hundreds of residents in the surrounding area, including Kampung Panca Jaya,' he said. Meanwhile, Tan told the state assembly that he was against the implementation of a paid parking system in Labis, as it was a small town located within Segamat district. 'Residents mostly use motorcycles as their main mode of transport, so there is not much need for local council paid parking bays. 'It will also be a burden to small-town folk,' he said, adding that he had spoken out against the implementation of such a system years ago.
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Villagers apologise after viral clash with police
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.
