KUALA LUMPUR: The Orang Asli community of Gua Musang today hit out at the Kelantan Forestry Department for setting up a counter blockade on their land, resulting in them not being able to get medical access.
A representative from the Temiar tribe, Mustafa Along, condemned the department's decision to mount the counter blockade, which has been up since Oct 11.
The Orang Asli had previously set up their own blockade to prevent loggers from entering their land, where 2,000 people reside in 33 villages.
"We have been fighting for land rights since 2010 because in 2006, the state government had allowed logging (here).
"We started our own blockade and are now being pressured by both the state government and the Forestry Department," he said at a media conference at the Parliament lobby here today.
The Kelantan state government is led by opposition party, Pas, while the constituent falls under the purview of Gua Musang MP, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
Earlier today, a group of 40 Orang Asli from Negri Sembilan, Kelantan, Perak, Sarawak and Pahang attended a roundtable meeting with several members of Parliament.
Klang MP Charles Santiago said an emergency motion on the issue will be proposed during the present Dewan Rakyat sitting.