PETALING JAYA: There is a change in the mindset of Orang Asli and this time they are unlikely to go for Barisan Nasional, according to Safie Dris, the head of the Kampung Panderas commercial plantation committee in Pahang.
Safie, an Orang Asli himself, claimed that the 180,000 Orang Asli population in Malaysia had changed their mindset towards the ruling coalition as they have not seen any improvement to their livelihood by voting BN for the last 55 years.
“The Orang Asli are not like before and the mood is for Pakatan Rakyat (the opposition coalition made up of PAS, PKR and DAP).
“There will be huge changes amongst the Orang Asli voters in the coming GE as their mindset has changed and they are looking forward for something new,” he said.
“We are no longer like before, just to be given the basics and asked to vote… our people are now educated and exposed to the happenings around us. Even the land that has been allocated for us has been grabbed, new schemes are being introduced but it does not benefit the Orang Asli,” he told FMT in an interview.
Shafie also hit out at the AKUJANJI programme introduced by the government for the Orang Asli, which requires them to surrender ancestral land to the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) for further development.
The Pahang Orang Asli chapter has objected to this but the programme still continues.
“We have reported this to Suhakam (the Malaysian Human Rights Commission), however AKUJANJI has still continued despite the objection from our people,” said Shafie.
The Orang Asli leader also hit out at the government for using their pictures in the ruling coalition’s election campaign posters and banners.
“This is dirty politics. Why use our pictures when nothing has been done for us,” he questioned.
There are about 80,000 Orang Asli voters in the country, scattered nationwide.
