PUTRAJAYA – Dissenting voices among the Orang Asli community want their current representative in the Dewan Negara replaced.

At the same time, they have also urged the Government to appoint more senators among them.

Orang Asli Association of Malaysia (POAM) president Majid Suhut said the community’s views are not taken into consideration in the Dewan Negara and suggested that Senator Mohamed Olian Abdullah be replaced.

Majid, along with several other community leaders, handed a memorandum at the Prime Minister’s Department on Wednesday which called for the appointment of two additional senators and the axing of Mohamed Olian.

The group felt that Mohamed Olian does not does not represent their interests and was more of an Umno proxy.

Since 1957, six senators had been appointed from among the Orang Asli community. Two of them – Itam Wali Nawan of the Senoi-Semai tribe, and Long Jidin, of the Proto-Malay-Jakun tribe – were non-Muslims. Long later converted to Islam.

As to why the group wants more representatives, Majid said: “We have Orang Asli in every
state (in Peninsular Malaysia) except in Penang and Perlis. We want a bigger voice."

He added that the senators must represent every main tribe of the Orang Asli - the Negrito, the Senoi and the Proto-Malays.

Do not want an Umno proxy

According to a census carried out by the Department of Orang Asli Affairs in 2006 , there are 141,230 Orang Asli;  two-thirds of whom live  in Pahang and Perak. Mohamed Olian is from Pahang.

Majid said although literacy and leadership abilities are welcome factors in the appointment of senators, he added that far more important is the willingness to fight for the rights of the Orang Asli.

"Many at the grassroots level have not heard of nor interacted with him (Mohamed Olian),” he told reporters after the group handed the memorandum.

“We have no quarrel with him. We just prefer our Senators to be chosen from our ranks," he added, in reference to Mohamed Olian’s status as an Umno member.

“The focus on Umno membership and Islam has given rise to the perception that the Orang Asli senator is an Umno proxy and not a true representative of the Orang Asli,” he said.- Malaysian Mirror