JOINT PRESS RELEASE:
24 CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS DEMAND PRIME MINISTER HONOUR REFORM PROMISES AND UPHOLD ORANG ASLI RIGHTS TO LAND
21 February 2026 - We, the undersigned civil society organisations and individuals, are deeply concerned by reports that, within a single month, several Orang Asli communities across Peninsular Malaysia have faced eviction, harassment, police arrests, sudden unannounced developments, and the removal of anti-logging blockades by authorities:
In January 2026, it was reported that 51 residents, of 14 families, comprising an Orang Asli settlement in Bukit Bauk Forest Reserve in Dungun, Terengganu were facing eviction from their land by the State Government to make way for a religious education institution. While reports claimed that the community had only resided on the land since 2016, checks have found that the land formed part of the traditional customary land of the Orang Asli who were resettled in Sungai Pergam. The community in question had chosen to return to their ancestral land. They initially made frequent visits, especially during the fruit season. Over time, a few elders chose to stay permanently. The elders were joined by others who chose to return to their customary lands after 2016 when it became difficult for them to eke out a living in the resettlement site.
On 9 February 2026, 21 Orang Asli villagers from Kampung Jemeri in Rompin, Pahang were detained by the Police following complaints from a company claiming rights to develop land reportedly owned by the Sultan of Pahang who only obtained title to the 781.281 hectares oil palm plantation developed by the Orang Asli smallholders less than month ago, on 26 January 2026. These were customary lands of the Jakun smallholders who had opened their smallholding there 13 years ago. Authorities alleged the villagers trespassed, damaged a barrier, and harvested oil palm fruit, while community representatives maintain that the Orang Asli were defending their ancestral land without having given free, prior, and informed consent to any development.
On 11 February 2026, a press conference was held at Pusat Kraftangan Orang Asli Pulau Carey to highlight the recent announcement of Westport expansion that had been approved without the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of communities. Lanuza a/l Layun, the leader from Kampung Sungai Kurau said that activities of land reclamation can now be seen from the coasts of his village and they have been denied access to certain areas of their customary territories. Preliminary research by RimbaWatch has identified a proposed oil storage terminal adjacent to the territories of Kampung Sungai Kurau, which poses serious risks of pollution, habitat destruction, and coastal degradation, further threatening the environment and the livelihoods of the Orang Asli.
On 12 February 2026, anti-logging blockades set up by the Orang Asli at Simpang Cerkep and Bereglag in Pos Simpor, Gua Musang (Kelantan) were torn down. The blockades had been established to protect their forests and ancestral territories. Images and videos shared by the communities show police and uniformed personnel using chainsaws to remove the barriers. The Forestry Department later informed the communities that logging activities by the company would continue. These blockades follow an August 2025 memorandum submitted by the communities of Pos Simpor to protest a 2,000 hectare resort-cum-agriculture development on Gunung Chamah, citing encroachment on customary lands and threats to forests, wildlife, and their way of life. Located within the Central Forest Spine, Gunung Chamah is an environmentally sensitive area known for its rich biodiversity, including the rare Rafflesia su-meiae.
All
these cases materialised in the span of just one month. It is clear
that these events are not isolated; they reflect deep and systemic
marginalisation and exploitation of the Orang Asli by state
institutions, private interests, and development policies that
prioritise profit over indigenous customary lands, where most of the
country’s remaining natural resources are now concentrated.
“We
rise not out of incitement, but because our land has been encroached
upon, our rights denied, and our dignity trampled,” said Keria bin
Peletak, the headman of Kampung Jemeri in a press statement issued by
the community.
“If the project continues, we worry that the Nipah leaves that we depend on for our crafts and cultural identity would be extinct,” said Maznah Unyan, the leader of the well-known Tompoq Topoh, the first Mah Meri women-led initiative on the island who had shared their crafts and cultural performances nationally and internationally.
“Many people assume that these issues only affect the Orang Asli, when in fact environmental issues impact everyone and therefore must be addressed collectively. We try to protect the remaining forests, but without support from mainstream society, the mission to save our forests becomes much more difficult. What is even more disheartening is when these efforts are belittled by those who are ‘educated’,” said Dendi, the community leader of Pos Simpor.
Commitment or Empty Promises?
Our Prime Minister, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that justice can only be held if Malays, Chinese, Indians and Orang Asli are all [seen] as one team, when he spoke at the closing of the Selangor PKR Convention recently (The Sun, 2026).
In
line with this, we wish to remind that the Prime Minister also affirmed
the right of the Orang Asli to preserve their customary lands and
safeguard their welfare in the 2023 Pakatan Harapan Manifesto, described
at the time as “the promises to the people.”
The
Malaysia Bar opined that existing Federal powers are adequate to
address Orang Asli land issues (Malaysian Bar, 2024). Despite many years
of advocacy, including the comprehensive National Inquiry on the Land
Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Malaysia in 2013 and many landmark court
decisions, substantive recommendations have repeatedly been presented
to political leaders. Yet, we remain concerned that these calls continue to fall on deaf ears and risk being ignored once again.
Recommendations
In light of the need to protect the rights of Orang Asli through a stronger and more equitable legislative framework, we wish to reiterate the joint demands outlined in the memorandum of recommendations to amend the 1954 Orang Asli Act, developed by a grassroots coalition comprising 15 Orang Asli-based organisations and individuals back in January 2026:
Explicit legal recognition of Orang Asli customary land and territories;
Implementation of FPIC as genuine consent, not symbolic consultation; and
Full respect for the right of Orang Asli to self-determination.
The amendment process of the 1954 Orang Asli Act to be halted until legally binding recognition of Orang Asli customary land and territories is included;
Full disclosure of the draft bill and consultant’s report to Orang Asli communities;
Lastly, in solidarity with the ongoing struggles of the Orang Asli to defend their rights to their customary lands, we issue this call to the Prime Minister to honour his commitments and deliver on his promises to implement meaningful institutional and legislative reforms:
Malaysian Government to uphold its obligations under the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Under Article 19, the Government must “consult and cooperate in good faith” with the Orang Asli and secure their “free, prior, and informed consent” on all matters that affect them.
As Chair of the National Land Council, the Prime Minister has a unique responsibility to take immediate action to protect Orang Asli land rights. By doing so, he can fulfil his promises, uphold justice for Indigenous communities, and demonstrate strong, inclusive leadership in safeguarding Malaysia’s cultural and environmental heritage.
Direct a FULL disclosure of the draft bill and consultant’s report on the Amendments of Orang Asli Act to Orang Asli communities immediately;
Adopt and implement the recommendations set out in the National Inquiry on the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples by SUHAKAM (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia).
We urge the Prime Minister to ensure that consultations with Orang Asli communities are meaningful, inclusive, and truly representative, involving women, men, youth, elders, residents of registered villages and kampung serpihan (satellite villages), as well as recognised civil society groups such as Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS), Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli SeMalaysia (JKOASM), Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), and the Malaysian Bar. Consultations should also include independent legal, anthropological, and community experts to ensure decisions respect Orang Asli rights and uphold free, prior, and informed consent (e.g. Tony Williams Hunt, Dr. Yogeswaran, Dr. Rusaslina Idrus, Dr. Kamal Solhaimi Fadzil, Dr. Juli Edo, Dr. Suria Angit, and Dr.Izandis.)
Endorsed by the following organisations:
RimbaWatch
Aliran
Alliance Of River Three
Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
Demokrat Malaya
Gabungan Darurat Iklim Malaysia Berhad
GEGAR (Gerakan Gabungan Anti-Imperialis)
Greenpeace Malaysia
HAYAT
Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS)
Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Rights Committee (KLSCAH-CRC)
MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture)
Persatuan Promosi Hak Asasi Manusia (PROHAM)
Pertubuhan Suara Anak Sabah
Pertubuhan Wanita Orang Asal Malaysia (PWOAM)
Ruang Lawan Malaysia
Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia [SABM]
SEEDS MALAYSIA
SPARC UTEM
Student Progressive Front UUM
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement
TONIBUNG
Yayasan Kajian dan Pembangunan Masyarakat
Endorsed by the following individuals:
Alex Abraham
Farida J. Ibrahim
Jayanath Appudurai
Johnek Henry
Lye Tuck Po
Muhammad Ariff Mohamad Nizam
Nirmala Devi Rasiah
Subhashini Jayanath
TAN WEE HONG (Jacky）
Tan Zhi Ying
Teckwyn Lim
Thulaja Thessa K Vasudhevan
Yap Shon Lee
Koong Hui Yein
[BAHASA MALAYSIA]
20 Februari 2026 – Kami, pertubuhan masyarakat sivil dan individu yang menandatangani kenyataan ini, amat prihatin terhadap laporan bahawa dalam tempoh hanya satu bulan, beberapa komuniti Orang Asli di seluruh Semenanjung Malaysia telah berdepan dengan pengusiran, gangguan, penahanan oleh pihak polis, pembangunan secara tiba-tiba tanpa notis, serta pembongkaran sekatan anti-pembalakan oleh pihak berkuasa.
Pada Januari 2026, dilaporkan bahawa seramai 51 penduduk daripada 14 keluarga, yang membentuk sebuah penempatan Orang Asli di Hutan Simpan Bukit Bauk di Dungun, Terengganu, berdepan pengusiran oleh Kerajaan Negeri bagi memberi laluan kepada pembinaan sebuah institusi pendidikan agama. Walaupun laporan mendakwa bahawa komuniti tersebut hanya menetap di kawasan berkenaan sejak tahun 2016, semakan mendapati bahawa tanah tersebut merupakan sebahagian daripada tanah adat tradisi Orang Asli yang sebelum ini telah ditempatkan semula di Sungai Pergam. Komuniti berkenaan telah memilih untuk kembali ke tanah nenek moyang mereka. Pada peringkat awal, mereka kerap berulang-alik, terutamanya pada musim buah-buahan. Lama-kelamaan, beberapa orang warga emas memilih untuk menetap secara tetap. Mereka kemudiannya disertai oleh ahli komuniti lain yang kembali ke tanah adat mereka selepas tahun 2016 apabila kehidupan di kawasan penempatan semula menjadi semakin sukar.
Pada 9 Februari 2026, seramai 21 penduduk Orang Asli dari Kampung Jemeri di Rompin, Pahang telah ditahan oleh pihak polis susulan aduan sebuah syarikat yang mendakwa mempunyai hak untuk membangunkan tanah yang dilaporkan dimiliki oleh Sultan Pahang. Sultan Pahang hanya memperoleh hak milik terhadap ladang kelapa sawit seluas 781.281 hektar yang diusahakan oleh pekebun kecil Orang Asli kurang daripada sebulan sebelumnya, pada 26 Januari 2026. Kawasan tersebut merupakan tanah adat pekebun kecil Jakun yang telah mengusahakan tanah itu sejak 13 tahun lalu. Pihak berkuasa mendakwa penduduk telah menceroboh, merosakkan penghadang, dan menuai buah kelapa sawit, manakala wakil komuniti menegaskan bahawa Orang Asli hanya mempertahankan tanah nenek moyang mereka tanpa sebarang persetujuan bebas, awal dan dimaklumkan diberikan terhadap sebarang pembangunan.
Pada 11 Februari 2026, satu sidang media telah diadakan di Pusat Kraftangan Orang Asli Pulau Carey bagi menyoroti pengumuman terkini mengenai peluasan Westport yang telah diluluskan tanpa persetujuan bebas, awal dan dimaklumkan daripada komuniti terlibat. Lanuza a/l Layun, ketua Kampung Sungai Kurau, menyatakan bahawa aktiviti penambakan tanah kini dapat dilihat dari pesisir kampungnya dan mereka telah dinafikan akses ke beberapa kawasan dalam wilayah adat mereka. Kajian awal oleh RimbaWatch telah mengenal pasti cadangan pembinaan terminal penyimpanan minyak berhampiran wilayah Kampung Sungai Kurau, yang menimbulkan risiko serius terhadap pencemaran, kemusnahan habitat, dan degradasi pantai, sekali gus mengancam alam sekitar serta mata pencarian Orang Asli.
Pada 12 Februari 2026, sekatan anti-pembalakan yang didirikan oleh Orang Asli di Simpang Cerkep dan Bereglag di Pos Simpor, Gua Musang (Kelantan) telah dirobohkan. Sekatan tersebut diwujudkan bagi melindungi hutan dan wilayah adat mereka. Gambar dan video yang dikongsi oleh komuniti menunjukkan pihak polis dan anggota beruniform menggunakan gergaji rantai untuk memusnahkan penghadang tersebut. Jabatan Perhutanan kemudiannya memaklumkan bahawa aktiviti pembalakan oleh syarikat akan diteruskan. Sekatan ini dibuat susulan memorandum yang dikemukakan oleh komuniti Pos Simpor pada Ogos 2025 bagi membantah projek pembangunan pusat peranginan dan pertanian seluas 2,000 hektar di Gunung Chamah, yang didakwa menceroboh tanah adat serta mengancam hutan, hidupan liar dan cara hidup mereka. Terletak dalam kawasan Central Forest Spine, Gunung Chamah merupakan kawasan sensitif alam sekitar yang kaya dengan biodiversiti, termasuk spesies Rafflesia su-meiae yang jarang ditemui.
Kesemua insiden ini berlaku dalam tempoh hanya satu bulan. Jelas bahawa peristiwa-peristiwa ini bukan bersifat terpencil, sebaliknya mencerminkan peminggiran dan eksploitasi sistemik terhadap Orang Asli oleh institusi kerajaan, kepentingan swasta, dan dasar pembangunan yang mengutamakan keuntungan berbanding tanah adat masyarakat pribumi, di mana sebahagian besar sumber semula jadi negara kini tertumpu.
“Kami bangkit bukan kerana hasutan, tetapi kerana tanah kami telah diceroboh, hak kami dinafikan, dan maruah kami diinjak-injak,” kata Keria bin Peletak, ketua Kampung Jemeri, dalam satu kenyataan media yang dikeluarkan oleh komuniti tersebut.
“Jika projek ini diteruskan, kami bimbang daun nipah yang menjadi sumber utama kraftangan dan identiti budaya kami akan pupus,” kata Maznah Unyan, pemimpin Tompoq Topoh, inisiatif wanita Mah Meri yang terkenal di pulau tersebut dan telah mempromosikan hasil kraftangan serta persembahan budaya di peringkat nasional dan antarabangsa.
“Ramai yang menganggap isu-isu ini hanya menjejaskan Orang Asli, sedangkan hakikatnya isu alam sekitar memberi kesan kepada semua pihak dan perlu ditangani secara bersama. Kami berusaha melindungi hutan yang masih tinggal, tetapi tanpa sokongan masyarakat arus perdana, usaha ini menjadi amat sukar. Lebih menyedihkan apabila usaha ini diperkecilkan oleh mereka yang dianggap ‘berpendidikan’,” kata Dendi, pemimpin komuniti Pos Simpor.
Komitmen atau Janji Kosong?
Perdana Menteri, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, telah menyatakan bahawa keadilan hanya dapat ditegakkan apabila orang Melayu, Cina, India dan Orang Asli dilihat sebagai satu pasukan, dalam ucapannya di penutupan Konvensyen PKR Selangor baru-baru ini (The Sun, 2026).
Seiring dengan kenyataan tersebut, kami ingin mengingatkan bahawa Perdana Menteri juga telah menegaskan hak Orang Asli untuk memelihara tanah adat dan menjaga kebajikan mereka dalam Manifesto Pakatan Harapan 2023, yang pada ketika itu digambarkan sebagai “janji kepada rakyat”.
Majlis Peguam Malaysia berpendapat bahawa kuasa Persekutuan sedia ada adalah mencukupi untuk menangani isu tanah Orang Asli (Malaysian Bar, 2024). Walaupun advokasi telah dilakukan selama bertahun-tahun, termasuk melalui Siasatan Nasional mengenai Hak Tanah Orang Asal pada tahun 2013 dan pelbagai keputusan mahkamah penting, cadangan substantif telah berulang kali dikemukakan kepada pemimpin politik. Namun, kami tetap bimbang bahawa seruan ini terus diabaikan.
Syor-syor dan Tuntutan
Sehubungan dengan keperluan melindungi hak Orang Asli melalui rangka perundangan yang lebih kukuh dan adil, kami mengulangi tuntutan bersama yang terkandung dalam memorandum cadangan pindaan Akta Orang Asli 1954 yang dibangunkan oleh gabungan akar umbi yang terdiri daripada 15 organisasi dan individu Orang Asli pada Januari 2026:
Pengiktirafan undang-undang secara jelas terhadap tanah dan wilayah adat Orang Asli;
Pelaksanaan FPIC sebagai persetujuan sebenar, bukan sekadar perundingan simbolik;
Penghormatan sepenuhnya terhadap hak penentuan kendiri Orang Asli;
Proses pindaan Akta Orang Asli 1954 dihentikan sehingga pengiktirafan mengikat terhadap tanah adat dimasukkan;
Pendedahan penuh draf rang undang-undang dan laporan perunding kepada komuniti Orang Asli.
Sebagai solidariti terhadap perjuangan berterusan Orang Asli mempertahankan tanah adat mereka, kami menggesa Perdana Menteri untuk menunaikan komitmen dan janji beliau bagi melaksanakan reformasi institusi dan perundangan yang bermakna:
Kerajaan Malaysia hendaklah mematuhi kewajipannya di bawah Deklarasi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu mengenai Hak Orang Asal 2007 (UNDRIP), khususnya Artikel 19 yang mewajibkan perundingan dan kerjasama secara ikhlas serta mendapatkan persetujuan bebas, awal dan dimaklumkan;
Sebagai Pengerusi Majlis Tanah Negara, Perdana Menteri mempunyai tanggungjawab khusus untuk mengambil tindakan segera bagi melindungi hak tanah Orang Asli;
Mengarahkan pendedahan PENUH rang undang-undang draf dan laporan perunding mengenai Pindaan Akta Orang Asli kepada komuniti Orang Asli;
Mengguna pakai dan melaksanakan syor yang terkandung dalam Siasatan Nasional mengenai Hak Tanah Orang Asal oleh SUHAKAM;
Memastikan rundingan dengan komuniti Orang Asli adalah bermakna, inklusif dan benar-benar mewakili semua pihak, termasuk wanita, lelaki, belia, warga emas, penduduk kampung berdaftar dan kampung serpihan, serta organisasi masyarakat sivil yang diiktiraf seperti JOAS, JKOASM, COAC dan Majlis Peguam Malaysia;
Melibatkan pakar bebas dalam bidang perundangan, antropologi dan komuniti bagi memastikan keputusan menghormati hak Orang Asli dan prinsip FPIC. (contohnya: Tony Williams Hunt, Dr. Yogeswaran, Dr. Rusaslina Idrus, Dr. Kamal Solhaimi Fadzil, Dr. Juli Edo, Dr. Suria Angit, and Dr.Izandis.)
Bibliography
Apa Kata Wanita OA, 2026. Kenyataan dan Pendirian Tok Batin Orang Asli Kampung Jemeri. [online] Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/
Center
for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), 2026. Memorandum: Cadangan Pindaan Akta
Orang Asli 1954 (Akta 134) Dari Masyarakat & NGO2 Orang Asli.
[online]. Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/
“Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli – all as one team. Only then can justice be upheld.”
The Sun, 2026. Do not stoke racial, religious sentiments: PM, [online] Available at:
https://thesun.my/news/
Malaysiakini, 2026. Orang Asli groups reject proposed law changes, say talks ‘failed standards’. [online] Available at: https://www.malaysiakini.com/
Malaysian
Bar, 2024. Ensuring Informed Consent: Protecting Orang Asli Rights in
Constitutional Amendments. [online] Available at: https://www.malaysianbar.org.
Pakatan Harapan, 2023. Manifesto Pakatan Rakyat. [online] Available at: http://lib.perdana.org.my/PLF/
SUHAKAM, 2013. Report of the National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples. [online] Available at:
https://suhakam.org.my/wp-
About RimbaWatch
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RimbaWatch (Kuala Lumpur)
Protect Orang Asli rights to land, 24 groups urge govt
Civil society groups want the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954, currently under review, to include legal recognition of Orang Asli customary land and territories.
The groups said there was also a port expansion in Selangor that was approved without the consent of local Orang Asli communities, who now claim to have been denied access to their customary areas.
They said these cases surfaced in just a month and reflected systemic marginalisation of the Orang Asli, with profit prioritised over indigenous customary land.
“The Malaysian Bar opines that existing federal powers are adequate to address Orang Asli land issues. After many years of advocacy and many landmark court decisions, substantive recommendations have repeatedly been presented to political leaders.
“Yet, we remain concerned that these calls continue to fall on deaf ears and risk being ignored once again,” they said in a statement.
The groups urged Putrajaya to give explicit legal recognition to Orang Asli customary land and territories, and fully respect the Orang Asli’s right to self-determination.
They also called for the ongoing review of the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 to be put on hold until it contains legally binding recognition of Orang Asli customary land and territories.
The groups urged the government to disclose the draft amendment bill to the Orang Asli communities to obtain their agreement.
“As chair of the National Land Council, the prime minister has a unique responsibility to take immediate action to protect Orang Asli land rights.
“By doing so, he can fulfil his promises, uphold justice for indigenous communities, and demonstrate strong, inclusive leadership in safeguarding Malaysia’s cultural and environmental heritage.
“We urge the prime minister to ensure that consultations with Orang Asli communities are meaningful, inclusive, and truly representative,” they said.
The joint statement was signed by RimbaWatch, Aliran, the Center for Orang Asli Concerns, Greenpeace Malaysia, and the Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham), among others.
Last month, Bernama reported that 51 Orang Asli folk at the Bukit Bauk forest reserve in Dungun, Terengganu faced eviction from Terengganu government land they have occupied since 2016.
Earlier this month, police arrested 21 Orang Asli in Rompin for allegedly trespassing on land owned by the Pahang sultan. - FMT, 21/2/2026
