Friends,
As the Orang Asli gather for their peaceful demonstration for the disenfranchisement of their community at Putrajaya this morning, we sympathise with their predicament and understand that not only do the Orang Asli represent the First Malaysians, but their presence, identity and way of life are synonymous with the vulnerable presence of Nature in our ecosystem.
The public should realise that when we respect and protect the Orang Asli’s presence, we are simultaneously protecting Nature.
The Orang Asli do not recognise Nature as a something that can be owned. For them, the forests represent their ancestral home and land since time immemorial. We must think of the forests, also as OUR precious ancestral land. We must take heed of the inter-relationship and balance of the biodiversity within Nature that help support the lifeline of our survival.
The Orang Asli’s presence is the barometer for how well we protect Nature, and the sustainability of our rainforests, our catchment areas, our rivers, our wildlife. The Orang Asli are OUR custodians of Nature, our precious legacy that sustains our survival.
Presently, this is an age where greed and unbridled capitalism can destroy human civilisation within a generation.
What is left of the forests is crucial to our sustainability. When we protect the Orang Asli’s ancestral lands which are these forests, we are not just protecting their homes, we are protecting ourselves.
Protecting the Orang Asli land means protecting our water catchments, biodiversity, wildlife, clean air, and one of our strongest defences against climate change.
When the Orang Asli lose their forests, we all lose. Protect their land and WE will Protect our future!
If these forests fall, we will suffer and eventually fall, too! We shall all pay the price!
Ramli