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Circular No 277/2010
Dated 23 Nov 2010


The Bar Council Committee on Orang Asli Rights (“COAR”) recently organised a public forum to discuss the proposed amendments to the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 and its impact on the land rights of the Orang Asli. The forum was attended by over 190 Orang Asli of various tribes from all over Peninsular Malaysia. It was to be a briefing on the amendments and for the Bar Council to obtain feedback from the Orang Asli community. There was a briefing and we heard their views. But, there was much more that the Orang Asli had to say. It was shocking.

One after another the Orang Asli spoke bravely and eloquently. We heard accounts of exploitation, discrimination and deprivation of their livelihood. These were stories of misery and hardship visited upon the poor and downtrodden of our land. It was an eye opener for many and heart wrenching to all. We were left to wonder whether there was a systematic and calculated plan to strip them of everything that defines them as a community and as a people. But, it was clear that the Orang Asli had come to the forum to appeal to the Bar. It was a desperate cry for help.

While there are many Members of the Bar who have responded and taken up matters for the Orang Asli, it is still a case of too few hands. In the wake of the forum, and our experience in dealing with Orang Asli claims, we obviously need to raise an army of lawyers to represent them in the courts to expose the injustices that have been perpetrated against them. Their claims revolve around native customary rights to their ancestral lands and the denial of their economic, social, cultural and religious rights. Some basic training and learning is required. But, it is certainly not rocket science.

To this end, the COAR jointly with the Bar Council Human Rights Committee and the Professional Standards and Development Committee have decided to organise a one-day workshop on Saturday, 4 Dec 2010, at the Bar Council. It is entitled Workshop on “Native Title Rights – the Issues, Claims and the Law”. The aim of the workshop is to equip lawyers with the fundamentals of the law and practice on native customary rights claims. We have invited lawyers with vast experience and knowledge in this area to conduct the training sessions. We have also invited Dr Colin Nicholas (the Director of the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns) and Dr Ramy Bulan (of the Centre for Indigenous Studies, University Malaya) to speak on the current issues and challenges facing the Orang Asli. Finally, we have also invited representatives from the Orang Asli community to share their plight. Please find attached the programme and registration form.

Make no mistake. This is an SOS to the Bar. We need you to join us in this battle.

Do not hesitate to contact Christina Gomez by telephone at 03-2031 3003 ext 143 or by email at christina@malaysianbar.org.my, should you have any query.

Yours sincerely,

Steven Thiru
Deputy Chairperson
Committee on Orang Asli Rights
Bar Council