PETALING JAYA: The orang asli community will continue with blockades to prevent logging on a 42ha site at Kampung Papang in Gerik, Perak, and near the Air Chepam Forest Reserve.
Centre for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas said the Temiar community had resolved to protect the land despite three of them being hauled up by the police for questioning last Thursday.
“There are five blockades at five different places at Sg Papan area alone. There are 30 people including those from nearby villages who are supporting the Temiar ethnic group in their cause,“ Colin said when contacted today.
“There isn’t even a signboard here to say that logging activities is taking place here. The board should say which company is operating it, and how big the area is intended for logging.
“We have submitted memorandums (to stop logging) to the Mentri Besar’s office, land office and lodged a police report on the matter.”
Gerik OCPD Superintendent Ismail Che Isa said the three men, Zaiman Long, 36, Jamal Endi, 38, and Mohamad Nazreen Bah Dadu, had their statements taken. “They were released unconditionally in the afternoon,“ he said.
Ismail said two reports were received on Wednesday and Friday from a logging company, who were upset with the blockades.
He added that workers attempted to break the blockade at the village with bulldozers on Thursday, but the state’s Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) stopped it.
