In summary, the attachment the Orang Asli have to their traditional lands cannot be over-emphasised. Most Orang Asli still maintain a close physical, cultural and spiritual relationship with the environment. Increasingly, also, Orang Asli are beginning to see the ownership of their traditional lands as an essential prerequisite for their material and economic progress. The JHEOA’s dismal record of securing Orang Asli land tenure—coupled with increased intrusion into, and appropriation of, Orang Asli traditional lands by a variety of interests representing individuals, corporations and the state itself—have placed the Orang Asli under much social stress and remains a persistent factor contributing to their continued poverty and marginalisation. 2.2 RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT Another major problem that the Orang Asli face is that they, as a community, lag far behind the national society in the enjoyment of the fruits of Malaysia’s rapid development. There are several reasons for this scenario, not all of which are attributable to the Orang Asli’s own doing, neither are they insurmountable. This section will concentrate on three aspects of Orang Asli achievement in material development: Poverty and Infrastructure & Health and Education. 2.2.1 Poverty and Infrastructure In 2002, the Poverty Line Index was RM529.00 for Peninsular Malaysia. Any household of five living below that income would be considered as poor. Also, any household living below half that income (i.e. RM264.50) would be considered as ‘hardcore poor’. While the national poverty rate has been reduced to a commendable 5.6 per cent, JHEOA data reveal that the rate for Orang Asli poverty remains at a high 76.9 per cent (Zainal Abidin 2003). That is, more than three-quarters ORANG ASLI – RIGHTS, PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS 37