Chapter 3 - Report of the Research and Policy Development Group The best practices highlighted covered the work of several bodies: (i) The Commission’s National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Malaysia has served as an avenue to investigate complaints relating to native customary rights to land. Furthermore, this adopted the perspective of Indigenous Peoples. Recommendations will be made to the relevant agencies. (ii) Sabah Parks has developed a Community Use Zone (CUZ) – one example is the CUZ in Ulu Senagang and Mongool Baru – for the benefit of Indigenous Peoples. This is aimed at balancing community needs with environmental conservation; encouraging participation and collaboration of local communities in park management; and preserving the cultures and traditional knowledge of the communities. (iii) Consistent with Article 14 of the UNDRIP and Article 26 of the UDHR, the MOE has taken steps to ensure formal education for Indigenous Peoples, including the introduction of the seven initiatives under the Indigenous Education Transformation Plan, the introduction of the Semai and KadazanDusun languages as elective subjects for the PMR and SPM examinations, lower requirements for Indigenous Peoples for admission to institutions of higher learning, the good cooperation with the Commission in the ‘Human Rights Best Practices Programme in Schools’ project and the development of an adult education programme (iv) The SRIB, a statutory body under the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, has helped raise the standard of living among Indigenous Peoples in the state, by introducing new plantings/replanting of rubber trees with Latex Timber/High Yield Clones since 1981. The goal is to eradicate hardcore poverty by creating a permanent farming system that can provide a steady and sustainable income, and to increase living standards to take Indigenous Peoples out of income-based poverty. The target groups are landowners, selfsufficient farmers practising shifting cultivation, and poor folk living in rural and remote areas. The programme has contributed to the economic development of the Indigenous Peoples of Sabah and has allowed them to enjoy a sustainable income. (v) The Native Court of Sabah is vital in upholding and protecting unique practices under the Indigenous Legal System. The court’s jurisdiction, as stated in Section 6 of the Native Court Enactment 1992, is over disputes under customary law, religion and marriage among other cases. The Native Court also contributes to the continuance of traditions and cultures of Indigenous Peoples, and offer access to justice that is in line with indigenous worldviews. Even though the community comprises different groups, the Native Court has been able to unite them through the Indigenous Legal System based on adat and tradition. (vi) The Bar Council has set up a voluntary legal service under its Committee on Orang Asli to handle, on pro bono basis, cases involving ancestral land. Indigenous Peoples are therefore able to get legal representation, which might otherwise not be available to them because of the cost involved. 102