KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan government is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of the Orang Asli community, in line with the state’s inclusive development policy through allocations in the state budget each year, and this includes tanah adat (customary land) matters.
Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud said for matters relating to the issue raised regarding the customary land of the Orang Asli community in the Galas state legislative assembly, it is not an issue because there is no term as customary land for Orang Asli either in the National Land Code 1965 or the Orang Asli Act 1954.
He said customary land only exists in Sabah and Sarawak according to state laws in both states relating to Orang Asli land in Sabah and Sarawak.
“Customary land does not exist in Peninsular Malaysia. The Orang Asli Act only mentions Orang Asli wandering areas which need to be gazetted,“ he said.
He said this at the winding-up session of the State Legislative Assembly at the Kota Darulnaim Complex here today.
Mohd Nassuruddin said in Kelantan, Orang Asli areas are not gazetted under the Orang Asli Act but are gazetted under the reservation provisions of the National Land Code.
“The Orang Asli Act is not a law relating to land, but the National Land Code is a specific law relating to land,” he said.
He said therefore that gazetting under the National Land Code has stronger legal standing compared to gazetting under the Orang Asli Act.
He added that in Kelantan, several locations have been gazetted under Section 62 of the National Land Code such as the Aring 5 area, PT 11982, Kampung Meranto, PT 5612, HSD 8978 as well as several Orang Asli gazetted lots in the Lojing area.
