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Protect the welfare of indigenous communities in Sarawak amid the MCO

  • Publication Date | April 2, 2020
  • Document Type | Media Statement
  • Programmes | Forests & Biodiversity
  • Issues | Indigenous Peoples, Logging
  • Tags | Covid-19, MCO, Sarawak
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Indigenous communities depend on food from their farms to supplement during the MCO | SAM

SAM has been receiving reports from indigenous communities in interior Sarawak, which describe how the movement control order (MCO) has affected them. The communities are currently anxious over the dwindling supply of essential food items, daily necessities and cash, and their inability to access medical, banking and other essential services and sell their produce in the nearest rural towns.

As a result of the decline in soil fertility and the proliferation of pests brought about by logging and plantation operations, in the last 30 years, many Sarawak indigenous families had been forced to abandon the cultivation of hill rice. For such families, rice is now purchased in the nearest town, along with other food items such as cooking oil, seasoning herbs and spices, sauces, sugar, salt, infant formula, flour, coffee and tea as well as daily necessities such as fuel and personal care and cleaning products. Fortunately, they are still able to depend on their farms and rivers to provide them with vegetables, fruits and fish, proving to us how a diversified agricultural strategy is instrumental for food security.

Therefore, in order to ensure that their welfare is protected, we urge that the authorities immediately undertake the following actions:

(i) The establishment of a special village committee on disaster management whose tasks will include:

    (a) the reporting of the essential needs of their community, including important food items and daily necessities and any other special needs, such as the supply of potable water, to the selected nearest designated authority; and the joint identification, implementation and monitoring of the delivery methods of these essentials;

    (b) the fair distribution of essential foods and goods that have been delivered by the authorities amongst their community members, based on the number of persons in each household and considerations of any special needs of specific families;

    (c) the issuance of any written approval for community members who may need to access essential services such as medical appointments and emergencies and banking in town, and the joint coordination with the relevant authorities to assist such individuals to travel and access these services; and

    (d) the implementation of a standard operating procedure when a community member is suspected to be showing symptoms associated with Covid-19.

(ii) The direct and bulk delivery of essential items to the community by the authorities to minimise direct contact, adhering to the guidelines established under the MCO. The total coverage of all such support mechanisms must not discriminate against communities who live under the leadership of residents’ associations and village heads who have not been appointed by the state.

(iii) The strict prohibition against visits by outside parties to rural indigenous communities, including workers of plantation and logging companies; as well as voluntary humanitarian missions, unless official permits have been given to the latter.

(iv) The delivery of the same assistance to the school hostels located in the interior which may need such a support.

(v) The provision of support through the said committee, whenever possible, for rural indigenous communities to send their agricultural and forest produce to the nearest trading hubs, in accordance with the procedures that have been established under the MCO, so that the communities may continue to receive some income, while produce wastage can be avoided and the local food security can be improved. This marketing mechanism may require the support of a specific local stimulus package and logistical assistance from the relevant authorities.

(vi) The clear permission for rural indigenous communities living nearer to these rural towns where the MCO is tightly enforced by the police and local authorities, to continue their agricultural and fishery activities that may take place within a permissible range from their houses, be they for income generation or self-sufficiency needs, provided that social distancing and other health precautions can be observed.

It is our hope that our calls above will be considered and implemented by the authorities as soon as possible.

Mageswari Sangaralingam

Honorary Secretary

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Sahabat Alam Malaysia adalah satu badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang telah sekian lama berjuang mempertahan kelestarian alam. Ia juga mendidik masyarakat tentang pentingnya kebersamaan dalam pemikiran dan tindakan agar alam ini dapat kita wariskan kepada generasi hadapan dalam keadaan yang elok dan terpelihara. Dalam pada itu juga SAM giat membantu golongan nelayan pantai dalam memperjuangkan hak-hak mereka sehinggalah tertubuhnya Persatuan Pendidikan dan Kebajikan Nelayan Pantai Malaysia (JARING). Nelayan pantai sepenuh masa ini dididik oleh SAM sehingga mereka mampu memainkan peranan sebagai pemimpin nelayan yang meneruskan kesinambungan memperjuangkan hak-hak nelayan pantai lainnya. Sebagai contoh SAM telah berjaya menyedarkan masyarakat nelayan keperluan menjaga hutan paya bakau untuk kebaikan hasil tangkapan nelayan itu sendiri.
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Jamaluddin Mohamad BualikPersatuan Pendidikan dan Kebajikan Jaringan Nelayan Pantai Malaysia (JARING)
During the 1980s, I used to read about the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) in the news. After retirement, some time in 2001, while lazing around, I read news about the construction of a carbon in leach plant using sodium cyanide to extract gold in Bukit Koman. My friends and I visited CAP and we were introduced to SAM and her legal team. We discussed the details of filing a case against the gold mining company and the department of environment with Ms Meenakshi Raman and her legal team. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between lawyers from SAM and many of us from Bukit Koman. We had many ups and downs in our struggle to shut down the gold mine that was causing a nuisance in our village. But, as a community we never gave up because SAM had our backs.
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Sahabat Alam Malaysia adalah sebuah NGO yang memperjuangkan nasib masyarakat luar bandar khasnya. SAM menerima aduan-aduan masyarakat dan menyelesaikan masalah yang dihadapi. SAM telah mewujudkan ramai aktivis-aktivis sosial dan alam sekitar. Pada era 1980 dan 90an SAM sangat dihormati oleh masyarakat dan agensi kerajaan. Apabila media sosial menguasai maklumat maka SAM pun terkesan dan masalah masyarakat terus disalurkan dengan pelbagai cara. SAM perlu mewujudkan aktivis-aktivis pelapis yang muda untuk terus membantu masyarakat. SAM juga perlu membuat perubahan supaya banyak turun kelapangan dan jangan mengharapkan laporan media sahaja. Tingkatkan prestasi sebagaimana pada zaman kegemilangan SAM di era 80-90an.
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SAM taught me the importance of social activism and the role it plays in upholding the rights of people and the protection of the environment. In my experience, SAM has never hesitated to speak up in defence of people and their environment, and has gone the extra mile to champion their rights, by helping communities take their battles to the higher ups and even to the courts.
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Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Headquarters)
No. 1, Jalan Joki, 11400 Penang,
Malaysia
Tel: +604 827 6930
Fax: +604 827 6932

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Marudi Office)
129A, First Floor,
Jalan Tuanku Taha,
P.O.Box 216,
98058 Marudi, Baram, Sarawak,
Malaysia
Tel & Fax: +6085 758 973

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