My land, my heritage: enhancing Orang Asli awareness of their Indigenous Law rights through education

This study examines the level of awareness among Orang Asli , the indigenous peoples in Malaysia regarding their land rights as stipulated in the Indigenous Peoples Act 1954 (Act 134), including rights related to development negotiations, access to justice through the courts, their related body and NGOs, as well as the fundamental implications for the continuity of traditional life. This study employs a mixed-method approach involving a questionnaire survey of 47 respondents from four Indigenous communities and in-depth interviews with seven informants. Descriptive analysis reveals that awareness of land rights remains low, particularly regarding negotiation rights in development and legal avenues for seeking justice. Most of the respondents were aware of the existence of certain bodies and NGO but their understanding of the actual function of these agencies in protecting land rights was very limited. The findings identified seven main themes, namely: (i) Understanding of land rights, (ii) Perceptions of government agencies related to them, (iii) Challenges in preserving customary land, (iv) Experiences of land loss or encroachment, (v) Awareness of development negotiation rights, (vi) channels for obtaining justice through the courts, and NGOs, and (vii) The Future of their land . Overall, the findings indicate that respondents' awareness remains low, particularly regarding negotiation rights and legal mechanisms for defending customary land. This study recommends that education be used as a strategic tool to raise awareness among indigenous peoples through the integration of school curricula in community areas, legal literacy programmes, and community development modules that emphasise land rights. Systematic educational interventions are believed to be capable of strengthening understanding, reducing vulnerability, and empowering Indigenous peoples to defend their rights in the future.

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