Reports of the indigenous peoples of Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia:
Input-Discussion and Workshop Reports
I. Situation of the indigenous peoples
The first two days saw an exchange of situations by the participants, giving them the chance to hear and see through skits and photographs the life and social and economic conditions of the indigenous peoples of Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia. Specific problems experienced by the indigenous communities of the participants were highlighted.
The delegation from Sabah displayed three skits to reflect the developmental issues confronting the Muruts from Dalit (Keningau), the Dusuns from Bundu Rantai (Keningau) and the Kadazans/Dusuns from Tampasak (Penampang).
Logging has invaded ancestral lands of the Muruts in Dalit, causing the denudation of large tracts of forests and consequently polluting the water supply of the villagers, amongst others. Aside from logging, the encroachment of the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) schemes has also threatened customary land rights of the indigenous Muruts in Dalit but opportunities for them to voice out their grievances are rare. For the Dusuns from Bundu Rantai, encroachment of logging companies into their native customary land continuously threatened their ancestral heritage whereas the Tampasak people have to contend with the state government to retain their rights to their land, identified as a site for building a huge dam.
Next, the Sarawak participants presented their situation through a skit with six sub-plots. The first five scenes revealed the lives of the community peoples before the onslaught of logging companies into their lands. There was much mutual cooperation in planting and harvesting padi, according to their adat asal (customary practice). A gawai capped the end of the harvesting season, as an expression of thanks for abundance food crop. In the final scene, the peoples sufferings were evident in the face of uncontrolled logging, large plantation schemes and corrupted longhouse headmen bought over by the logging companies or government officials. When the people took up peaceful actions in defence of their ancestral land, the government sent in uniformed men in order to effectively control the people.
In contrast to the presentation of the Sabah and Sarawak groups, the three Orang Asli participants used photographs to illustrate the way of life of the Semai, largely dependent on forest for their survival and on jungle products such as petai for cash income.
The photographs also illustrated their traditional lifestyles, homes, environment and ceremonies such as the sewang, a traditional healing ceremony. The trio also explained about the problems faced by the Orang Asli, in particular restrictions imposed by the authorities and arising religious conflicts (e.g. Islam and Christianity).
II. Synthesis on the situation of indigenous peoples of Malaysia
The sharing by the participants revealed that there were increasing problems brought to the indigenous peoples as a result of land development schemes on their ancestral land, indiscriminate and uncontrolled logging and the construction of huge dams.
In Sarawak, the participants spoke of indiscriminate logging in Long Gang, Bintulu, Tinjar, Baram, Tatau, Belaga, Machan and Kg. Opar. Similar stories were echoed in Rantai Bundu, Dalit (Sabah) and Batu 10, Pahang (Peninsular Malaysia). In the process, logging companies were killing the forests and rivers, source of life for people who live offf the land.
Similarly, indigenous peoples were often also the victims of land development schemes implemented by government land agencies (e.g. SAFODA, Sabah Forestry Development Authority, SLDB, Sabah Land Development Board, FELDA, Federal Land Development Agency, LCDA, Land Consolidation Development Authority, IADP, Integrated Agricultural Development Project, SALCRA, Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority, FELCRA, Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority.) and/or private companies. As a result, many communities have lost control over ancestral lands which were once under their guardianship. They suffered, first from displacement from their lands, and then as exploited labour (kuli) in these big agricultural schemes.
In the same way, under the guise of national development projects such as dams, highways and airports, to name just a few, indigenous peoples were often either persuaded or coerced into giving up their lands. The Batang Ai hydro dam at Lubok Antu (Sarawak), for example, displaced about 4,800 people, most of whom were Iban longhouse communities. The indigenous peoples in Tampasak, Sabah and Belaga, Sarawak will invariably face the same fate if the respective Babagon Dam and Bakun hydro-electric dam projects go ahead.
According to the participants, there were numerous causes for the increasing problems experienced by them, in particular loss of ancestral lands. First, promises of compensation for those being displaced from their lands by political parties but these turned out to be empty promises. Second, much of the communities problems were also caused by their longhouse or village heads who bowed to offers made by logging companies, who then gave the peoples land away without their knowledge. Third, intimidation and harassment by men in uniforms and those in power to create fear in the people, thereby effectively breaking up the unity of the people.
Finally, shortcomings in the statutory or legal provisions (or non-provision in some cases) which made it all too easy to have the lands of the indigenous peoples taken away. Even the native adat asal (customary law) was no match for the powerful modern laws which swung too far in favour of the government.
Cases in point: for Sarawak, Section 90(b) of the Forest Ordinance 1953 and Sections 3, 5 and 209(1) of the Sarawak Land Code 1958; for Sabah, Section 28 of the Land Ordinance 1930, Sections 2 and 4 of the Land Acquisition Act and the Forest Enactment; and for Peninsular Malaysia, the Aboriginal People's Act 1954 (revised 1974). In addition, there were laws that restrict the basic freedom of the people such as the Internal Security Act and the Police Act.
III. Workshop reports
Aware of the broad situation of the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, the participants in this forum then begun to address their common problems in a more systematic manner, hence workshop groups were generated to allow for more in-depth sharing of experiences and knowledge. Participants were divided into four smaller groups with guide questions provided to facilitate discussion.
Below is a summary of the salient points highlighted by the four groups:-
Main problems 1.loss of ancestral lands 2.indiscriminate and uncontrolled logging 3.big plantation schemes, especially palm oil 4.large dams 5.conflict between "modern" religions and indigenous religion 6.loss of control over indigenous education
Effects of problems 1.On ancestral land: displaced from ancestral lands and settlements restriction to much smaller resource areas or denied access to the use of their lands depletion of their natural resources such as lands, forests and water native customary land given to outsiders such as politicians acquisition of native lands by the forest department
2.On indigenous languages, cultures and traditions: gradual, but sure, decline of indigenous languages, cultures and traditions imposition of education, law and order, values, religion, amongst other, structured on the system of the dominant society inferiority complex towards indigenous cultures and tradition, e.g. keeping of long earlobes among the Kayans and Kenyahs of Sarawak, berpantun (poetic chants), or wearing of traditional dress, especially among the youths traditional way of healing replaced by modern medicine traditional music and dances replaced by `rock' culture breakdown of communal or traditional practices such as bergotong-royong (mutual cooperation) and communal feasting
3.On indigenous way of life: forced to work as kuli (labourers) on plantation schemes as a result of displacement from ancestral lands choice of crops and traditional methods of cultivation influenced by the need for cash rather than for food first rituals and observances pertaining to their traditional farming system, for example, are being lost in the face of external values that conflict with indigenous traditions longhouses are being replaced by individual houses that do not reflect community living
Actions taken to confront problems 1.campaigns to solicit support 2.appeal letters to the relevant authorities 3.negotiation with the with the government 4.peaceful demonstrations and blockades 5.agroforestry projects
Some of the actions were successful due to unity among the people, determination to defend their ancestral lands, clear understanding of their problems and support from concerned individuals and groups, amongst others. This has resulted in the temporarily stopping of logging activities in some areas (e.g. Keningau in Sabah), collective effort of demarcation of their land according to needs and adat (e.g. Naman, Sarawak) and the formation of action committees to carry on communal actions (e.g. Long Gang, Sarawak and Babagon-Tampasak, Sabah), to name just a few of the victories experienced by the people.
Some actions, however, were not so successful due to the lack of experience in handling police intimidation or court cases especially at the earlier stages, disunity among the communities, corrupted members of the community, fear of authority, unaware of problems, and inadequate access to correct information.
