JOHOR BARU: The Orang Seletar, also known as Orang Laut, have for generations lived off the mangrove forest and the Johor and Pulai rivers.
And over the years they have been ardent supporters of Barisan Nasional. But, the last straw was the desecration of their ancestors graves in the mangrove forest.
The mangrove forest and its surrounding areas have been reclaimed for seafront development under the Iskandar Malaysia project and pollution have reduced the Orang Seletar’s daily catch.
It was no wonder then that when Gelang Patah candidate Lim Kit Siang visited Kampung Simpang Ara, he was warmly received. Some 300 of them pledged to support DAP in the May 5 polls.
Lim is taking on outgoing Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman in the Gelang Patah consistuency. This is a battle which will see if Pakatan is successul in making major inroads into Umno heartland.
The Orang Selatar account for 0.84 percent of 106,864 voters in Gelang Patah.
“They (the government) want to build a seaport there and said they want to reclaim the mangrove forest. We requested for a conversation with them, because our ancestral burial ground lies there.
“But without any prior notice, they flattened the land. Our graveyards were displaced,” 48-year-old Koming claimed.
He also said some of their native customary lands, such as the one in Pasir Pelangi, have now fallen into the hands of the authorities for Iskandar Malaysia project.
“If you can help us, we will definitely support you,” he told Lim.
Lim responded by saying that he would definitely raise the matter in the Parliament should he be elected.
He also criticised the government’s Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) for failing to look into the welfare of the Orang Asli.
DAP’s rocket symbols were flying along the road leading up to the village and many Orang Seletar who gathered there donned T-shirts bearing Lim’s portraits.
Ghani unimpressed
Lim left the village with the impression that has the support of the Orang Selatar but his opponent Ghani was not impressed.
When asked to comment about the Orang Seletar’s claims later, Ghani denied that the government has demolished their ancestral burial grounds.
“I don’t think we have done that at all. Of course normally when a development takes place, there are some relocation of cemeteries, it’s nothing peculiar about it. But I think we have been close with the people with Simpang Ara,”
He also denied that the villagers have been made victims of Iskandar Malaysia project, saying that the state government has built houses for them.
“If you are talking about Kampung Simpang Ara, the land belongs to them, we preserve that.
“But some Orang Seletar are staying on government lands. So if there is any development, we make sure they are being taken care of,” he said.
“We know the Orang Asli very well. You have somebody coming from outside of Johor making the first visit to an Orang Asli village, I don’t think they know better than us,” said the four-term Johor MB.
