by Terence A. Anthony
Originally published for Greater Malaysia, October 2015
Note: Last year, inspired by the story of Orang Asli protesters that traveled all the way to KL to join Bersih. I wrote a two part piece for Greater Malaysia about how the privileged should use whatever leverage they have to speak about the underprivileged.
The website no longer exists but thankfully, my earlier drafts are still in my hard drive.
The Orang Asli made it to the news again in 2016. 41 Orang Asli in Gua Musang has been arrested for conducting blockades against timber companies. Unfortunately, the story has been under-reported so far. Their story reminded me of the story of the Penans. So that was where I attempted to draw parallels between the two stories.
When I first saw pictures of them protesting in Kuala Lumpur in traditional garb and headgear, it echoed with images of the dam blockades in Sarawak. That’s when thought writing about their struggle would at least get a few people to talk about their existence. I have no idea if it helped them but at least I hope a bigger figure could stumble about articles like this and spend time trying to solve their problems.
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| ORANG ASLI OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS TAKING PART IN BERSIH 4 | SOURCE: STRAITS TIMES |
On the 30th of
August, accompanying the city folk were yellow clad natives. They stood in line with the cause of Bersih. They marched the streets of Kuala Lumpur, demanding a cleaner
government. In addition to wearing yellow shirts like the rest of the crowd, they
incorporated traditional regalia.
Despite what has been
stereotyped as a Chinese dominated affair, this micro-minority weren’t afraid
to show up. According to the Sun Daily, Salim Tengau from Kampung Bering,
Kelantan said that "The Orang Asli have never had a voice before, we felt
that it was time the country heard our voice."
They speak with the rest of
Malaysia on that day, who felt downtrodden from a questionable regime. While
they were also questioning the administration’s competence in dealing with 1MDB
and our electoral system, they also managed chime in their dissatisfaction.
From the disappearance of
children from Sekolah Kebangsaan Pos Tohoi to the destruction of what can be
considered as traditional territories. These are lands handed down to them by
their parents, in hope they can survive in an ever-changing world. However,
their message get drowned in the sea of information and lost along the way.
First
they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a
Socialist.
 |
| THE ORANG ASLI COMMUNITY, TAKING PART IN THE 2015 EDITION OF BERSIH | SOURCE: STAR |
While such issues are often
hard hitting, social-justice issues, they rarely get attention or even reach
mainstream news. It is relegated to the human interest section, and rarely
framed as structural racism and discrimination.
As a micro-minority, such
issues can be easily ignored and left as a niche topic. The sad fact is that,
it is part and parcel of the struggle of everyone in the country. No minority
group has been successful in fighting for their rights, without the assistance
of a bigger group. That is where the rest who were chanting for Bersih, should
also be the ones speaking up for the Orang Asli.
When the Civil Rights Movement
fought against segregation, they needed people within the establishment, to be
part of the movement. Though white people were oppressing Black people they
need numbers from white people to vote for change.
Just hoping that the Orang Asli
can solve the problem on their own is to be complicit in the atrocities.
Those privileged enough to be
part of a middle class that can afford to use social media, has the obligation
to spread information about what has happened to the children of Pos Tohoi. If
the mainstream media won’t put that into the spotlight, then the grassroots
should.
The worst thing that can
happen to a message is to not have an audience for it.
Then
they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a
Trade Unionist
 |
| BRUNO MANSER, A CONTROVERSIAL ACTIVIST FROM SWITZERLAND | SOURCE: FILMCLUB IM TAKINO |
A great example how people
from the outside of a community can change narratives is the story of Bruno
Manser. Manser, a Swiss national lived with the Penans in East Malaysia, a
nomadic tribe whose culture is closely linked to the rainforest. For 6 years,
he catalogued his experience, sketching the lives of a people that have
accepted an outsider.
While he found a connection
with the people he met in Sarawak, he came to the realization that the
rainforest he was quick to call paradise was in danger. The constant trespass
by illegal loggers harmed the environment of the Penans, destroying what was a
land they tended for survival.
In a bid to attract the
attention of international media, he managed to help the Penans organize
blockades, prohibiting Lorries to enter the Penan’s land. Despite being
non-violent, his blockade tactic has earned him such a notorious title that he
had to conceal his identity when leaving the country.
Along the way, he has engulfed
himself in all sorts of controversies with the timber industry. He organized a
60 day hunger strike back in Switzerland, demanding a ban on the import of
tropical timber and the mandatory declarations for the origins of said timber.
He also managed to glide using a motorized hang glider into the compound of
then Chief Minister of Sarawak, Taib Mahmud, in protest to demand greater
attention to deforestation and the treatment of the Penan.
Bruno Manser then organized
the Bruno Manser Fonds, tasked with the conservation of rainforest and the
livelihood of indigenous people in Sarawak. The current director Lukas Strauman
recently published a book titled “Money Logging; On the Trail of The Asian
Timber Mafia.”
Bruno Manser disappeared when
the last time he attempted to enter to cross the Sarawakian border from
Kalimantan again in 2000. While he was originally accompanied by a film crew,
he then followed a local guide, with his crew going back to Switzerland. He
then told his guide, Paleu, a Penan from the area that he wanted to climb the holy
Mountain of Batu Lawi alone. His last postcard to his girlfriend back in
Switzerland said he was tired from his journey and lamented the lack of results
from his actions.
Paleu was the last person to
see him and Manser never returned from his journey. The world assumed that he
lost his life on the ascent.
Then
they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Bruno Manser feared that his
actions barely brought any results. In fact, he received scathing remarks from
Malaysian authorities. In Sabihah Osman’s Globalization and Democratization,
Taib Mahmud was quoted saying; "It is hoped that outsiders will not
interfere in our internal affairs, especially people like Bruno Manser. The
Sarawak government has nothing to hide. Ours is an open liberal society.”
According to RadicalDesigns.org,
our former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad once said “The Penan cannot be
allowed to become anthropological specimens for foreigners to gawk at."
Despite Manser’s personal
assessment of his actions and the questionable methods used to highlight the
issues, he gave the Penan a voice that is rarely heard. That in return, has
changed how the world looked at the problems of deforestation in Sarawak.
Current Chief Minister, Adenan
Satem has taken a hard stance in fighting the threat that has stemmed from
deforestation. One can even argue that he is working hard in reversing the
impacts of leaving illegal logging unchecked and mass issuance of timber concessionaires.
While Bruno Manser didn’t actually impact these choices, it can be said that he
was part of the reason why there is an international scrutiny over our timber
industry.
It also can be argued that
Manser’s fighting spirit has been carried on when the Penan has been using the
same blockade tactics, in protest of the Murum dam; another project with
question marks all over its impact on the environment.
Peter G Sercombe and Bernard
Sellato argued in their book, Beyond the Green Myth,
that anyone resisting logging in the state of Sarawak need to acknowledge
Manser. While fighting against dam construction was different from timber, the
two actions are inextricably linked with each other. Manser was responsible
with organizing meetings between communities where they discussed about
harassment done by timber companies and whether blockading was in their
interest.
The blockade over the Baram
dam was also reminiscent of the same tactics that Manser encouraged. In fact,
the Baram dam blockade has led to a moratorium imposed by the Sarawakian ChiefMinister.
To what extent has Manser’s
voice played a role was debatable. In fact, one may even say that his action
resemble colonial era “white man’s burden” attitude that he took upon his
shoulders. What he brought however was unprecedented international pressure to
the timber industry. His book, Voices of The Rainforest, opened the world to
the life and struggle of the Penans. That scrutiny and platform alone, is good
enough to have the voices of the Penans heard.
Then
they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me
As controversial as Bruno
Manser’s methods were, but he managed to become a voice for the Penans to the
outside world. The Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia, also need the help of
outsiders to write about their story.
Their fight cannot be done on
their own. As a micro-minority, their votes don’t command much attention from
both side of the political aisle. This is in no part their fault as there is
only limited attention they could give to the world.
However, to make this issues
matter into the eyes of the authority is to have regular people to speak about
it. In our world where sharing information is the easiest way to engage and tap
to a larger audience, anyone who hears the struggles of minorities, have the
obligation to remind the masses.
With people like Eddie Hoo from Heat Online suggesting that we should rethink how we deal with the education of the Orang
Asli, to the Cilisos Editorial Team, writing about why they would take a 9 hour
bus just to join Bersih. Their stories need as many hears as they can.
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For those who wants to do something tangible for the Orang Asli in Gua Musang, this is where you can sent your money to for legal help. Thanks to activists like Siti Kasim for enlightening us with the Orang Asli struggle.
PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY TO:
Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam
Maybank
562106724536
Please forward your bank in slip and your telephone no to:
Yatie 0166084510Izwan 0179321899
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