Encroachers, land-grabber and even the government, at times, seem to ignore the rights of the people who have been living on the lands for generations repeatedly.

Last week, a video was shared on "Persatuan Orang Asli 1 Malaysia Facebook page" of a Semelai woman from Kampung Berangan sharing the story of land-grabbers burning a home built by her grandfather, destroying her family's crops and chicken coop.

An ongoing issue

Colin Nicholas from Centre For Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) shared the video and explained the situation at Kampung Paya Badak and neighbouring Kampung Beranang in Pahang on his Facebook page.

"In 2007, while on a visit to Kampung Paya Badak and neighbouring Kampung Beranang in Pahang, I was shown around their customary territory. In one part of the secondary forest, there were some graves amidst the rubber and oil palm trees.

"I remember being shocked at being shown a copy of the title deed to a 1.609 hectare (4 acre) plot of land amidst the old graves, crops and belukar. The said land now legally belonged to someone from Kuantan," he wrote.

He added that the Semelai who live there have been told by a senior officer at the Temerloh Land Office that he too owned some land in the area.

Although the Semelai have made police reports, as well as written to the Menteri Besar and Member of Parliament, no action were taken.

"Their right to their customary lands was just ignored. This has opened the floodgates to a host of other aspiring land-grabbers," Colin wrote.

According to his post, the Semelai have been standing their grounds, appealed the authorities to stop the encroachment and to recognise the lands as theirs.

This did not sit well with some who wish to profit from the lands that rightfully belongs to the Orang Asli, which led to aggressions such as the one seen in the video.

"The sadness and restrained anger in her voice is painful to hear. Even more saddening are the scenes of the burned-out house of her late grandfather and the destruction of the family’s crops and chicken coop.

"It is a classic land grab. And unfortunately, this is not the exception in the history of the Orang Asli," Colin wrote.

What can be done?

It's the sad truth that Orang Asli rights have been trampled on for way too long and it's an uphill battle.

However, there are some things that we can do to help things along.

We have to start making issues faced by Orang Asli viral and force authorities to take action just the way we've been doing with VIPs who flaunt COVID-19 SOPs.

Educate yourselves about the issues and fight for the rights of the Orang Asli to live the way they want on the lands they've lived on for generation.