IPOH: Supply of food supply for Orang Asli villages under enhanced movement control order (EMCO) should be safeguarded to ensure that no one goes hungry.
Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli Villages Network representative Rizuan Tempek said villagers under EMCO are facing difficulties finding food and require assistance from the government.
Rizuan, who is from Kampung Chang Lama Sungai Gepai, said his village received food aid from the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) and hoped that it would continue if the EMCO is extended.
The EMCO in the area is expected to end on Aug 24.
“Areas that we used to carry out traditional hill paddy, tapioca, corn and sweet potato farming have been taken over by animal husbandry projects. Remaining areas are limited and we are also competing with other villages,” he said.
Apart from Kampung Chang, the other two villages in Bidor under EMCO are Kampung Senta and Kampung Sanding.
Perak and Kedah Jakoa director Harulnizam Abd Rahman said on Tuesday (Aug 17) that food aid would be sent to the affected Orang Asli villages in stages from Aug 19 to 21.
Rizuan said there were two Kampung Chang villages in Bidor, with the other one being Kampung Chang Baru.
“When the announcement for the EMCO was first made, it stated Kampung Chang as a whole, including my village,” said Rizuan.
“We were informed that it was only Kampung Chang Baru that was affected and not Kampung Chang Lama, which is a few meters away,” he added, saying that the misinformation created some issues for his villagers.
“Jakoa also insisted and informed the Tok Batin of Kampung Chang Lama that we were not part of the EMCO,” he added.
He said people from his village had issues going out to Bidor to get supplies.
“Even after we took the trouble to prepare a name list identifying people from the village and handed it to the police, they (the police) still insisted that we are part of the EMCO,” said Rizuan.
He added that food supplies were not given until their complaints were heard, saying that Orang Asli from the EMCO area were also not allowed to pass a police roadblock even though they had vaccination appointments.
“On Friday (Aug 20), Jakoa changed its stance and informed the Tok Batin of Kampung Chang Lama that we are indeed part of the EMCO,” he added.
Rizuan said Jakoa must recognise that Kampung Chang Baru and Kampung Chang Lama are two different villages.
“Kampung Chang Lama has been there since time immemorial while Kampung Chang Baru is from the late 1950s. They were originally from Kampung Pelantar on Jalan Teluk Intan but their land was taken away for a mining project back then,” he said.
Rizuan added that when the mining project was over, the villagers from Kampung Pelantar found that their land has since been owned by outsiders.
“The elders of Kampung Chang Lama allowed the community from Kampung Pelantar to seek refuge and open a new settlement in the ancestral land of Kampung Chang,” he said.
