There are several land development programmes/schemes that have been implemented
by the Government or private companies that involve indigenous customary land.
However, such development can lead to misappropriation of customary lands if these
have not been demarcated, thus impoverishing affected communities. There are also
schemes on indigenous lands such as the development of land under Communal Titles in
Sabah, the Agropolitan, Mesej, economic corridors that are linked to poverty eradication
programmes through the introduction of plantations and infrastructure. However, the
efficacy of these programmes in raising the income levels of Indigenous communities is
questionable.
Because of the small scale nature, family and community-based economic support of
indigenous economic systems, these are often not given the recognition it deserves from
the Government. The Economic Transformation Programme, for example, gives no
mention and in fact only caters for profit-oriented activities.
While there are training courses that provide the necessary knowledge and skills to IP in
preparation for better occupational opportunities, there is a negative perception that IP
are not employable. The number of IP entering higher institutions is still low due to the
fact that they are among the impoverished groups and that, they are unable to pay for the
fees. In this regard, opportunities for economic growth are very limited. Efforts to
introduce traditional occupational skills in many training institutes have not been
successful, and neither are there support for IP to establish their own educational
institutions as provided for by Article 14 of the UNDRIP. 139
(v)
Legal system
IP possess their own traditional judicial system, which covers legal aspects including
customary laws, conflict resolution and arbitration and their traditional institution that
implements and monitor its legal system.
139
UNDRIP (n 48) Article 14:
14. Indigenous Peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions
providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of
teaching and learning.
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