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Orang Asli centre named UN Organisation of the Year 2011

Tuesday, 25 October 2011 09:16am

(From left) Colin Nicholas, Tam Kar Lye, Jenita Engi, Puah Sze Ning dan Keiisha Anne Pillai from the COAC. BERNAMA

©The Sun Daily (Used by permission)
by Michelle Chun

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 24, 2011): The Orang Asli Centre for Concern (COAC) was named the United Nations (UN) Malaysia Organisation of the Year 2011 yesterday in recognition of its efforts to promote and defend the rights of the Orang Asli in the country.

At the United Nations 66th anniversary celebration today, UN resident coordinator to Malaysia Kamal Malhotra said the centre had been chosen for its work in advancing the cause of the Orang Asli through greater dissemination of Orang Asli news and views, assisting in court cases involving Orang Asli rights and through research to develop arguments for lobbying and advocacy.

“In the selection process, the Search Committee stressed that it had been impressed by the quiet yet determined and sensitive manner in which the COAC has worked with unwavering integrity and independence in a critical area for Malaysian development.

“The centre’s contribution has been distinctive and unique in the Malaysian contest at national level, and has had positive impacts at all levels – local with Orang Asli communities, national in terms of land rights issues and other policy matters, and international, since they have been published internationally and is often quoted as the definitive source on Orang Asli issues,” Malhotra said in his citation.

COAC coordinator Colin Nicholas, who received the award on behalf of the centre, said it was the first public award of this nature the Centre has received to recognise its efforts.

“It is in a way premature because there is still much to be done. The award, however, has been a boost to our morale and has inspired us as we continue to trudge onwards in the long journey ahead,” Nicholas said, thanking the UN for the honour.

Meanwhile, deputy minister of foreign affairs Datuk Richard Riot Anak Jaem, who officiated the ceremony, praised the UN for its efforts in promoting global unity and said this year’s theme, ‘The Role of Mediation in the Settlement of Dispute’, reflected the need to be proactive and pragmatic when dealing with conflicts.

“Malaysia will continue to support UN mediation initiatives and also continue to play a role in regional mediation initiatives to assist our neighbours such as in the Mindanao Peace Process,” he said.

At the event, Malhotra, who is also UNDP representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, also announced that the government of Malaysia and the UN had signed an agreement today that would see the UNDP Global Shared Services Center on International Public Sector Accounting Standards opened in Cyberjaya next month.

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