KUALA LUMPUR – Rural Development Ministry officers are attempting to place a non-Orang Asli as the next Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) director-general, said Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Mohd Nor.
In a statement today, he said the position has been vacant since Prof Juli Edo’s contract ended last month.
“The post of Jakoa DG is usually prioritised to a qualified Orang Asli from the peninsula.
“However, the information I have received is that there are officers at the Rural Development Ministry plotting and arranging for the next Jakoa DG to be a non-Orang Asli individual.
As the sole Orang Asli MP in Parliament, I condemn and oppose these efforts by bureaucratic little Napoleons in the ministry.”
Advising such officers to stop playing politics, Ramli urged them to instead focus on their essential duties as government officials, including implement and monitoring policies to achieve their objectives for the welfare of the Orang Asli community as enshrined in the federal constitution.
“With this, I also take the opportunity to remind government officials of the contents of Article 8(5)(c) of the federal constitution related to quota in the civil service, (where posts) must be given to members of the Orang Asli community who are qualified, including the position of Jakoa DG.”
He called on the Perikatan Nasional government to not only act in a fair and equitable manner with regard to the appointment of the new Jakoa chief, but also demonstrate genuine concern, especially in resolving issues relating to the community’s development, which remains lacking.
“Core issues, such as socio-economic development, education, health, gazetting of Orang Asli land/customary land, and general welfare of the Orang Asli community, remain lacking compared to the rest of Malaysia’s plural society.”
The BN lawmaker also wants the government to allow parliamentary sittings to resume with strict Covid-19 standard operating procedures in place, so that people-centric issues can be debated, and checks and balances provided to policy decisions.
In a series of tweets yesterday, Rural Development Minister Datuk Abdul Latiff Ahmad said he, along with his deputy and secretary-general, had a virtual audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to discuss filling the Jakoa vacancy.
He said the department has been led by a member of the Orang Asli community since 2017.
“At the same time, I believe Jakoa should be led by a DG who is experienced and an expert to spur the Orang Asli to become more developed and modern.” – The Vibes, May 19, 2021
