Orang Asli from the Batek tribe in Kampung Kuala Koh receive treatment at the Gua Musang Hospital June 15, 2019. — Bernama pic
They noted that under the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 , the minister in charge of Orang Asli affairs had the power to redefine their ethnicity, while the Department of Orang Asli Development director-general could control activities in aboriginal areas, Orang Asli land transactions, and compensation to the Orang Asli for loss of traditional lands.
The Bar Council and Pusat Komas said such state powers may violate the appellate court’s legal recognition of Orang Asli customary and resource rights. “Such provisions are outmoded and, from a human rights perspective, have no place in contemporary Malaysia,” they said in a joint memorandum.