Villagers: Orang Asli Intruding

TAMPIN: The villagers of Kampung Tanggal here claim that a group of Orang Asli has been intruding into the Tampin Forest Reserve near the Gua Batu Maloi Recreational Park by building houses and planting crops.

The villagers said the group had also constructed a 3km access road to their settlement.

They are worried that the group’s actions will affect the environment of the forest reserve, which is a favourite picnic spot.

It is also understood that the forest reserve has been gazetted as a biodiversity research site by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) as some of flora and fauna there are not found in other forest reserves in the country.

However, the group’s spokesman said they were not intruding on the forest reserve as it was their ancestral land.

Sami Khalim, 43, said there were about 30 people from nine families in the group and they moved into the area from Kampung Pari in Rembau about nine months ago.

“We know the area has yet to be gazetted as an Orang Asli settlement but we are not intruders since this is our ancestral land,” said Sami, adding that the families were from the Temuan tribe.

He said since moving into the area, the families have supported themselves by planting rubber trees and selling forest products like petai and roots for medicinal purposes.

“Officers from the Forestry Department have visited the area and we have been asked to attend a meeting at the District Office next week to discuss the status of the land. We really hope to stay here as it is suitable for planting crops.”

Meanwhile, Tampin district officer Datuk Mohd Yusof Yunus said he would be having a discussion on the status of the land with the Forestry Department, the Orang Asli Affairs Department and a representative from the group.

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