Government to define Orang Asli advisory council powers in Act 134 amendments, says deputy minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — The role and responsibilities of the Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli Advisory Council will be finalised through amendments to the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 (Act 134), which will be tabled in Parliament soon.

Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang said the council currently operates as a committee that serves as an engagement platform between the government, the Orang Asli community, and relevant non-governmental organisations.

“The establishment (of the council) will be finalised in the amendments to the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 (Act 134), which we will table in Parliament in the near future.

“There, we will detail the role and responsibilities of the council in full,” she said during the Question-and-Answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

She was replying to a supplementary question from Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai) regarding the functions and jurisdiction of the council, as well as the steps taken by the government to ensure its views are translated into the formulation and enhancement of policies related to Orang Asli interests.

On the socio-economic development of the Orang Asli community, Rubiah said the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) provides entrepreneur grants ranging from RM9,000 to RM35,000. It also offers cooperative grants of up to RM200,000 to support business equipment and premises.

She added that the government also offers agricultural modernisation programmes with financing from RM5,000 to RM300,000. These programmes cover a broad range of assistance.

“In this regard, we hope the Orang Asli will continue submitting applications to ensure sustainable income generation and expand the local economy holistically,” she said. — Bernama