According to a media report on 26 October 2010, an Opposition Member of Parliament had asked the Government why the rights of the orang asli were not guaranteed in the Malaysian Constitution. A Deputy Minister replied that the Government was willing to amend the law to include the orang asli community as bumiputras. He went on to elaborate on the assistance that the orang asli had received from the State in recent years.
It is wrong to suggest that orang asli rights are not enshrined in the Constitution. Article 8 on ‘Equality’ also contains a provision that “ this Article does not invalidate or prohibit – any provision for the protection, well-being or advancement of the aboriginal peoples of the Malay Peninsula (including the reservation of land) or the reservation to aborigines of a reasonable proportion of suitable positions in the public service.” There is no need therefore to amend the Constitution.
It appears that neither the MP nor the Deputy Minister had looked closely at the Malaysian Constitution.
Dr. Chandra Muzaffar,
Chairman,
Board of Trustees
Yayasan 1Malaysia.
Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia.
28 October 2010.