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Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Amend Article 153 to recognise Orang Asli rights, says Suhakam
Suhakam said policy gaps have left indigenous communities vulnerable to land disputes, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to be amended to explicitly recognise the Orang Asli as entitled to the same constitutional safeguards and affirmative action measures as other indigenous groups. In a statement, Suhakam said such recognition was essential to ensuring that the rights, identity, and entitlements of the Orang Asli were no longer subject to administrative ambiguity or exclusion. Suhakam said the amendment was also in line with its call to develop and implement a comprehensive national action plan to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples. 'For decades, these communities have endured systemic neglect, marginalisation, and violations of their fundamental rights, particularly concerning land, identity, and socio-economic inclusion,' said the rights body. Article 153 of the Federal Constitution ensures that the Malays and natives of East Malaysia have access to 'such proportion' of positions in the public service, scholarships, as well as permits and licences for the operation of any trade or business, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may deem reasonable. In its statement, Suhakam also pushed for the creation of an independent national commission on indigenous peoples, as recommended in its National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The proposed commission would advise the government on relevant laws and policies, monitor sustainable development on indigenous lands, encourage indigenous participation at all levels, and conduct research on issues affecting their communities. Suhakam said the commission must comprise mostly indigenous representatives, selected transparently and with community endorsement, to ensure that it truly represents their voices and respects the principle of self-determination. Suhakam said although the government accepted 17 of its 18 recommendations from the national inquiry, progress had been slow. Suhakam also called for a full review of the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 and a reform of the Orang Asli development department (Jakoa). It said Jakoa, currently the main federal agency overseeing Orang Asli affairs, must evolve into a rights-based institution capable of protecting indigenous rights, not just delivering welfare. Another critical issue highlighted in the statement was a lack of alignment between federal and state policies, particularly in the recognition and protection of ancestral and customary land. Suhakam said policy gaps had left indigenous communities vulnerable to land disputes, displacement, and the loss of livelihoods. Suhakam said both federal and state governments must uphold their responsibilities as custodians of indigenous land and resources, including enforcing land rights through clear, consistent policies aligned with international standards such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO Convention 169. 'These instruments affirm indigenous peoples' rights to free, prior, and informed consent, and to preserve their culture, lands, and institutions,' said Suhakam. Suhakam added that no meaningful reform could happen without the active involvement of indigenous communities and civil society, stressing the necessity of their participation to ensure that any changes are effective and accepted by those directly affected.
Free Malaysia Today
02-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Gunmen kill 25 in restive central Nigeria
Benue has been one of the states hit hardest by violence between nomadic herders and farmers. (AFP pic) JOS : Gunmen over the weekend killed 25 people in two attacks across north-central Nigeria's Benue state, local authorities told AFP today, the latest violence in a region known for deadly land disputes and reprisals. Attackers killed 14 people yesterday in the community of Ankpali, said Adam Ochega, chairman of the Apa local government council, warning that 'there are still some threats here and there'. Muslim ethnic Fulani nomadic herders have long clashed with settled farmers, many of whom are Christian, in Benue over access to land and resources. In a recent report, Amnesty International tallied 6,896 people killed over the last two years in Benue, part of Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt, a mixed-religious region where such disputes often take on a sectarian dimension. A police spokesman confirmed the attack but did not provide a toll. In a similar attack yesterday evening on Naka village, of Gwer West local government area, 11 people were killed by what authorities said were suspected Fulani militias. 'So far we have recovered 11 dead bodies and five people are confirmed injured,' Gwer West council chairman Ormin Victor told AFP. Last month, 44 people were killed in a span of four days in Gwer West. Motives for the violence in that attack were not clear, but Victor blamed the 'coordinated attacks' on Fulani cattle herders. Herders across the region meanwhile say they are also the victims of deadly attacks by farmers, land grabs and cattle poisonings. Land used by farmers and herders in central Nigeria is coming under stress from climate change and human expansion, sparking deadly competition for increasingly limited space. Benue has been one of the states hit hardest by such violence between nomadic herders and farmers who blame herdsmen for destroying farmland with their cattle grazing. When violence flares, weak policing all but guarantees indiscriminate reprisal attacks, which often occur across communal lines. A spate of attacks across Benue and neighbouring Plateau state left more than 150 people dead in April alone. Land grabbing, political and economic tensions between local 'indigenes' and those considered outsiders, as well as an influx of hardline Muslim and Christian preachers, have heightened divisions in Plateau state in recent decades.
