KOTA BHARU: The High Court was informed today that encroachment on the ancestral land of Kampung Kelaik, Gua Musang, has disrupted the Temiar Orang Asli community’s traditional practices, particularly their customary relocation following a death.
Ahak Uda, 58, the first plaintiff to testify in the customary land rights lawsuit, said activities such as logging, mining, and plantation development, carried out by the first to tenth defendants, have significantly hindered these traditions.
“As of now, 202 residents of Kampung Kelaik continue to build their homes using natural materials like bamboo and rattan while sustaining themselves through farming, hunting, fishing, and gathering forest resources for food and traditional medicine.
“We have inherited and occupied this land for generations, not only as a source of livelihood but also for religious ceremonies, spiritual practices, and ancestral burials,” he told the court.
The civil lawsuit, filed by the Orang Asli of Kampung Kelaik against 14 entities, including the Kelantan government, commenced today at the High Court and is scheduled to proceed over four days.
On the opening day of the trial, the plaintiffs, represented by counsels Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal, Rajesh Nagarajan, and Ambbi Balakrishnan, presented their first witness, Ahak Uda, who testified before Judge Hasbullah Adam.
The lawsuit was filed in March 2021 at the Kota Bharu High Court on behalf of the plaintiffs and the residents of Kampung Kelaik, seeking a declaration of their rightful ownership over the disputed ancestral land.
The plaintiffs have named ten corporate entities as the first to tenth defendants: Syarikat Perlombongan Gua Musang Sdn Bhd, Redstar Capital Sdn Bhd, Aqua Orion Sdn Bhd, Damai Corporate Services Sdn Bhd, Sindiyan Sdn Bhd, Sindiyan Agro Park Sdn Bhd, Ladang Kelantan Sdn Bhd, Ikrar Bumi Sdn Bhd, Ladang Ulu Nenggiri Sdn Bhd, and Iliasco Engineering & Construction Sdn Bhd, who were represented by separate law firms.
The 11th to 13th defendants are the State Land and Mines Office, State Forestry Department, and Kelantan government, who were represented by the Kelantan Legal Advisor Offices.
The 14th defendant is the Department of Orang Asli Development, which was represented by the Attorney General’s Office.
The trial will resume tomorrow.
