CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW human trafficking, business and human rights, law reform and others. Out of these, the rights of indigenous peoples have remained a priority topic for SUHAKAM because many promises by the Government concerning the land rights of the indigenous communities did not actualise. It is our view that the progress of the Cabinet Committee for the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been disappointing because, despite assurances that 17 out of the 18 recommendations by SUHAKAM in our National Inquiry (NI) were accepted by Government, none have been implemented. The Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA), a Government body responsible to protect, ensure the well-being and advancement of Orang Asli appears to have failed to protect their rights, and many Orang Asli, including SUHAKAM have called for a comprehensive review of JAKOA. Adverse conclusions were drawn that the country is not prepared to address and put an end to the many problems facing this marginalised community. Causes of violations of indigenous people’s rights continue to be wideranging and the underlying reasons include the widespread, systematic discrimination against them, as well as exclusion from decision making and effective participation in matters that directly affect them. In our Parliamentary system, indigenous communities, in particular the Orang Asli are not sufficiently represented. To aggravate the situation, and arguably due to the slow pace of the implementation of SUHAKAM’s NI recommendations, violations of native customary land rights have worsened this year. The failure in protecting the land rights of indigenous peoples by the State has also led to incidents such as the commotion and criminal intimidation at the blockades set up by a group of Orang Asli on a logging trail in Gua Musang, Kelantan. The Orang Asli community in Gua Musang during a programme expressed their disappointment with SUHAKAM and the Government for what they perceive to be a failure on our part to implement the NI recommendations. It is our view that the systemically disadvantaged and marginalised Orang Asli / Asal community must be given the same respect and have the same opportunities to live a rewarding and enriching life as other Malaysians. A shared future call for genuine inclusion of the Orang Asli / Asal in all aspects of Malaysian life. SUHAKAM sees Parliament as having a central role to play in the protection of the basic rights of indigenous peoples based on their traditional values, visions, needs and priorities; but to date, this role has not been fully realised. The past year saw the launching of two thematic study reports: “Death in Police Custody: A Study on the Conditions of Lockups and Factors Contributing to Death” and “Prison Healthcare in Malaysia: Results of a Nationwide Survey and Report”. Copies of these have been disseminated to the respective authorities and SUHAKAM hopes that the Government will implement the recommendations put forward in the reports to assist the Police and Prison Department in addressing many alarming problems that persist at places of detention. 2 SUHAKAM ANNUAL REPORT 2016 suhakam 2new.indd 2 3/23/17 5:54 PM