Backward Mindset?
May 20th, 2008 by Tian
Is this lifestyle not worth preserving?
I am hearing lots of craps from Mohamad Taib (we are debating poverty eradication with Minister of Rural Development this afternoon 20/5/2008):
We are building PPRT (Projek Perumahan Rakyat Termiskin/Housing Project for the Poor) for Orang Asli. The BN Government is taking care of their welfare.
However we also need to educate the Orang Asli from vicious circle of poverty. Get them to change their mindset, to move away from backward thinking…
So that they can leave their lifestyle to join the mainstreams society …
All these are typical myths propagated by the Government. Why should Orang Asli be slotted into pigeonholes? What happen to their land.
Responding to the Minister, Sungai Siput stood up and said: Orang Asli Reserve Land has been taken over by private company, normally turned into plantation. These plantation owners then employ cheap foreign labour as they claim Orang Asli are lazy.
This issue is related to my earlier debate with Zulhasnan, the Minister of Federal Territories. He claimed that all ’squatters’ are well taken care for and housing provided under Projek Perumahan Rakyat.
My contention was: Why can’t modernization and urbanization co-exist with traditional Malay kampongs. Current mode of urban development is destroying the our cultural characteristics.
While Umno-BN leaders are talking non-stopped about “Agenda Melayu”, yet Kuala Lumpur Malay traditional lifestyle is disappearing from the city’s landscape.
During the debate, Pakatan Rakyat MPs also criticized FT Minister for limiting a very short time frame for public feedback on Draft Kuala Lumpur Local Plan.
The Draft was launched on 15 May and will be on public display for 6 weeks. All objections or inputs must be submitted before the deadline 30 June.
In my intervention of the Minister’s reply, I argued that despite opposition MPs and residents associations requested a period of 3 to 6 months for public discussion, the DBKL maintain a rigid deadline. Such attitude surely does not reflect a genuine commitment to cooperate with opposition KL MPs. Within short duration, it is simply not enough time for the public to raise criticisms or objections to the Draft Local Plan in a constructive manner.
We wonder what mindset is this? The same people are talking about Orang Asli having a backward mindset.
Syabas Tian Chua,
So well said.
“My contention was: Why can’t modernization and urbanization co-exist with traditional Malay kampongs. Current mode of urban development is destroying the our cultural characteristics.
While Umno-BN leaders are talking non-stopped about “Agenda Melayuâ€, yet Kuala Lumpur Malay traditional lifestyle is disappearing from the city’s landscape.”
I believe it is a traumatic experience for OA to be pigeon-holed in the boxes and chicken coops ala BN style and be left with their culture and a sustainability to feed themselves and be independent. This style of taking their land and selling it off to “developers” or “plantation owners” is a big criminal act. They have no way of defending themselves and the govt. is not acting out of real concern for real “bumis” but I think it is an exploitation of defenceless people. I have seen at Damansara Perdana with MKland plots of apartments etc.; there are OAs sometimes dressed as OA’s and standing there staring away into the air; of course not all are like that but…there are displaced people who have no way of making a living and they are “wandering around” like “homeless” people. Go for a ride and see…
Can PKR do something for them to enable them to have their rights to their land and rights to their lifestyle; we upgrade houses for them but we don’t take them away from their agro-based livelihood. Plan agr0-based activities for them to have income and let them have a decent house to live in and not pigeon holes. Have a nice kampung life-style and ambience for them.
Thank-you, please give voice to the voiceless OA and treat them with dignity.
I hear that DBKL is also a property developer. Surely, you can understand that it’s unethical for a developer to also create a masterplan of KL for other competing developers. It’s a business for them, too.
People often ask me: “What can we do to help the Orang Asli?” My answer is usually: “Get rid of the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli.” These days it’s more likely: “Get rid of the BN government completely!” Time has shown us that not one of those Cacing from the Dacing are sincerely interested in the long-term welfare of the Rakyat - only their own retirement schemes. A few years ago when he Selangor Dam was proposed, the Temuan tribe was promised individual land titles for their own 3-bedroom brick houses plus one-quarter acre of land. As it turns out they were scammed by the Selangor State government under BN. Each family received a letter congratulating them for having successfully applied for a 99-year-lease on their tiny plots of land. Imagine how it feels to be a member of an indigenous tribe whose ancestors have lived in the area for thousands of years to be suddenly told they are occupying temporary leasehold land? No wonder the menfolk all end up as alcoholics, seeing no real future for their tribe or traditional way of life. I trust that when we finally get rid of the evil BN, steps will be taken to dismantle the useless and parasitic JHEOA - and the Reserve Land promised the Orang Asli since the 1960s be ratified and gazetted as Permanent Orang Asli Reserves. This is how we can help the Orang Asli!
Aren’t they Orang-orang Asli the orignal owners of this land, just like the natives of Sarawak and Sabah?? It’s terribly immoral and shameful how they have been treated all these years and robbed of their own land. These people are helpless, and in many cases, unjustly treated till today.
YB Tian Chua.
I agreed with you that 6 weeks is not enough to verify the KL Masterplan (we require 3-6 months).
I think we should expose them to more opportunities.
and let them decide for which ever future that they think are right for thier own.
We… no matter what race or nationality have no right to make that decision for them.
Council members in DBKL ought to be sacked…….wanting to sweep under the carpet for the shoddy works??
Such is a backward looking DBKL council, no wonder day in day out the people in KL are suffering in daily life due to msi-management of the DBKL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Note how we pointed our fingers at the whites for what they did to the north American natives! Holier than thou my foot!