Orang asli want bigger voice

Orang asli want bigger voice

By: by Alyaa Alhadjri (Wed, 17 Mar 2010)
PUTRAJAYA (March 17, 2010) : More than 2,000 orang asli took part in a rare gathering today to protest against a new land policy and to demand a say in the choice of a senator to represent the community.
Their requests were listed in two memorandums, signed by 12,000 orang asli, which were submitted by Network of Orang Asli Villages founder Tijah Yok Chopin and Persatuan Orang Asli Malaysia president Majid Suhut to Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal.

Langston Hughes was closely associated with the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of African-American literature and music in New York City. His poems spoke out against racism and national oppression and agitated for working class liberation. The themes were often of social injustices and what it meant to be black.

Although Orang Asli in Malaysia are not being oppressed by the government as compared to the African Americans before, however they are very much being neglected.
Orang Asli have had continuing problems with land ownership, trying to establish their identity as Bumiputra, and finding economic ways to support themselves. Orang Asli lands have been taking for work projects, golf course and the like. Orang Asli have lost most or all of their economic tools.

Orang Asli find themselves with few options out of the jungle as well. Orang Asli usual do not speak Malay, at least not as their first language, and have never had a proper education. They haven't been trained to do "city jobs" because their usual economies consist of Forest products and interactions. They are becoming landless, profitless, and without much hope.

The small number of Orang Asli and being left out in the field of education and development are among of the many factors contributing to their current problems.. Most of the non-Orang Asli in Malaysia refers to the Orang Asli as a barbaric and backward community. Hence there are many who say that the Orang Asli is a community that is too lazy to work hard to develop themselves and their race. There is no space for the Orang Asli to speak out about their dissatisfaction on certain aspects of the government policy towards them. The Orang Asli community are unaware that they actually have rights to claim and can speak out about the biased treatment they have received in every government development plan.