Musa slammed for vilifying native NGOs

The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) has slammed Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman for allegedly vilifying orang asli rights NGOs in the state.

The regional organisation took to task Musa's claim that the Partners of Community Organisations in Sabah (Pacos) was "misleading and confusing" the native community against the state government.

Musa was quoted by local newspaper the Daily Express as saying that the native community were selling off their own lands and such NGOs would later blame the government for not giving them more land.

"We want to stop them from selling their lands. They keep selling their lands. After they finished selling the lands, they blamed the government. Various NGOs will surface…Pacos and others.

"They mislead and confuse the people as if the government is cruel, the government does not want to give them lands when the government had already given a million acres," he was quoted as saying.

AIPP reiterated that Pacos was a "credible" member of the regional pact which has worked to promote the rights of indigenous people in Sabah.

It added Pacos, together with other NGOs, had also helped organise the Asia regional consultation with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Promoting native rights

"We therefore urge the chief minister and the government of Malaysia to desist from vilifying Pacos and other organisations in Sabah and Malaysia who are genuinely working to promote the rights and welfare of indigenous peoples in Malaysia," it said.

It stressed that the government should instead focus on engaging the native community and civil societies.

AIPP is a regional movement of indigenous peoples’ organisations and movements working for the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples in the region.

Meanwhile, the Sarawak Association of People's Aspiration (Sapa) has denied that it has been de-registered after being accused of secessionist activities.

"Sapa has always carried out its activities within its constitution and has never advocated secession, which is not in our dictionary," said its president Lina Soo.

In August, Sapa, together with the Sabah-based Borneo Heritage Foundation, had submitted a petition to the United Nations for a review of the Malaysia Agreement after claiming Sabah and Sarawak were being shortchanged.