Does He Know Every Orang Asli Takiyuddin Slammed For Outsiders Remark

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Orang Asli groups have rubbished Energy and Natural Resources Minister Takiyuddin Hassan’s claim that the Nenggiri dam protesters who came from Kelantan for a demonstration in Putrajaya recently were not true locals.
"Does he know every Orang Asli? He may be from the area (Kelantan) but does he know all the local residents?
"The protesters present in Putrajaya were all from the villages that will be affected by the dam," said Mastura Mazlan, a project officer from Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam.
More than 100 Orang Asli protesters, mainly from the Temiar tribe, who are battling the Nenggiri hydroelectric project that will see large swathes of land submerged in water, said they had to resort to organising a protest in the federal administrative capital on June 8 as the PAS-led Kelantan government has been insensitive towards their plight.
The peaceful assembly led by the Kelantan Orang Asli Villages Coalition (JKOAK) chairperson Mustafa Along, claimed that the project would affect about 1,185 residents involving 18 villages.
The RM5 billion project is set to deliver 300 megawatts of renewable energy to the peninsula and is expected to be completed in 2026 before operating a year later.
Takiyuddin yesterday said the Nenggiri dam in Gua Musang will not affect the lives of the Orang Asli in the area and went on to claim that the protest was organised by outsiders.
Orang Asli villagers protest against Nenggiri dam in Putrajaya on June 8"Those who handed over the protest memorandum are not residents from there. I am from Kelantan and I also know the Orang Asli who live there,” he said.
Orang Asli activist and artist Shaq Koyok also disputed the minister’s claim.
"Takiyuddin is wrong in his claim. The affected Temiar community from Gua Musang staged this protest and sent the memorandum to Putrajaya," he said.
Mastura speculated that Takiyuddin was trying to brush off the genuine concerns of those affected.
"I think maybe he was disturbed when the natives dared to speak out and so he considered it as NGOs and outsiders inciting them.
"However, the residents have the information at their fingertips in this modern era and can make up their own minds without being incited,” she added.
Officials view a model of the Nenggiri dam projectMini gallery for artefacts
Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) general manager for Kelantan and Terengganu Mustaphakamal Yaacob announced today that the electric utility company, which is involved in the dam project, is building a mini gallery to house Orang Asli artefacts found at the site of the Nenggiri hydroelectric project.
He said this was one of TNB’s initiatives to preserve the artefacts and archaeological materials that may be found in 13 cave areas around the project site.
The caves included Gua Cha, Gua Jaya, Gua Peraling, Gua Lembu, Gua Dala, Gua Chawan, Gua Lubang Kelawar, Gua Cahaya, Gua Kecil, Gua Keledung, Gua Rahmat, Gua Janggut and Gua Air.
"Based on the Heritage Impact Assessment, all artefacts need to be removed and placed in one gallery and we expect the evacuation work of the archaeological artefacts to take two years,” he said to reporters at a briefing which was also attended by Nenggiri hydroelectric project director Mohammad Zamri Ibrahim.
"We will also always consult with the relevant parties, including the National Heritage Department and the National Museum Department which will manage the mini gallery,” he added. - Mkini

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