BATU PAHAT: The Orang Asli community in the Senggarang state constituency is hopeful that whoever is elected as their assemblyman in the Johor election this Saturday will not keep them sidelined from development plans.
An Orang Asli representative, Ahmad Karim, 75, said the Orang Asli community in his village generally accepts whoever administers the Johor State Government, as long as they do not end up being marginalised.
Ahmad, who has been the Kampung Desa Banang headman for the past 10 years, said fishing has been the source of income for a majority of the Orang Asli community in the village.
Sadly, there is no fisherman's jetty in Kampung Desa Banang even though the Batu Pahat Fishermen Association had applied for one almost 10 years ago, he added.
"The issue had been brought up at the Fishermen's Association meeting long ago. We are not asking for much... just a jetty for our convenience as fishermen. We are a bit frustrated. As locals, we do not have a jetty whereas if you look at every jetty in the Batu Pahat district there is one. It is as if we are being sidelined," he said when met by Bernama recently.
At the same time, Ahmad also hoped that the future state assemblyman would be able to solve the flood problem he claimed occurred almost every month in their small village.
He said last month, villagers suffered huge losses due to floods caused by high tide that flooded the village.
"If the east coast suffered floodings every year, in our village, we have to face the threat of flood every month. If you stay by the beach, your house will definitely be flooded. At the beginning of this year many of us suffered losses because of the flood," he said.
Meanwhile, the Orang Asli community in Kampung Sri Pantai said they hoped the state leadership in Johor could provide allocations for fishermen in the village besides maintaining infrastructure at the estuary in the area.
Village headman Ayub Amran, 50, said 70 per cent of the population in the village are traditional fishermen who still use old methods and many are finding it difficult to earn a decent income.
"We hope leaders in the constituency will help in terms of allocating more modern fishing equipment and maintaining the infrastructure such as river estuaries because if it is too shallow, it will be difficult for fishermen to go out and fish. If left unchecked, it will become inaccessible," he said, adding that the villagers also face flood problems caused by haphazard drainage and irrigation systems.
In the upcoming election, the Senggarang state seat will see a five-cornered fight involving Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil, Barisan Nasional's Mohd Yusla Ismail, Pakatan Harapan's Abd Hamid Jamah, Zalihah Jaffar from Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) and Independent candidate Baharudin Abdullah.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Tue Mar 08 2022
An Orang Asli representative, Ahmad Karim said the Orang Asli community in his village generally accepts whoever administers the Johor State Government, as long as they do not end up being marginalised. - BERNAMA
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.
Israeli strikes kill 33 people in Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, medics say
Residents of Jabalia said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Liam Payne's ex-partner calls for media restraint after 'painful' death
Cheryl Tweedy used her statement to urge the media to remember they had a seven-year-old son, Bear, who could read the reports.
Analysts: Indonesia's strong MoF leadership team to boost investor confidence
Sri Mulyani Indrawati as head of Indonesia's Ministry of Finance is expected to instil confidence among investors.
Biden offers both a carrot and a stick to Israel as his term nears an end
Israel has frequently resisted US advice and has caused political difficulties for the Biden administration.
Putin says BRICS will generate most of global economic growth
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a summit of the group in the city of Kazan on Oct. 22-24.
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.
NFOF will be operational in November 2024 with funding of RM1 bil
PM Anwar Ibrahim said NFOF will support venture capital fund managers to invest in startup companies with RM300 million set aside for 2025.