CHAPTER 1 Submission of Memorandum by the Orang Asli Community from Kelantan to the Commission’s Chairman, Tan Sri Razali Ismail while being witnessed by Commissioner Jerald Joseph and the Commission’s Secretary, Rodziah Abdul iii) The need for the Orang Asli to be provided with public amenities such as electricity and water supply and low cost houses; and, iv) The weaknesses in the education services provided to the Orang Asli, for example the half-heartedness of some teachers assigned to teach at Orang Asli schools. The Commission received recurring complaints from the Orang Asli in Kelantan regarding the encroachment on Orang Asli customary land by logging companies, which had been given licences by the State Government of Kelantan to log in the Balah Forest Reserve. The Kelantan State Government’s dependency on revenue from logging bring about the rampant logging activities conducted on the forest reserve area in Gua Musang, which had been inhabited by the Orang Asli for generations. After several of their protests against the logging activities went unheeded by the State Government, the Orang Asli erected several blockades on the route to the forest as a last-ditch attempt to stop the logging. The Commission visited the Orang Asli settlement in Gua Musang twice during the year to assess the situation. Following that, the Commission had made four written requests to the State Government of Kelantan to meet and discuss the issue brought up by the Orang Asli, but at the time of writing, the State Government has yet to reply to the Commission’s requests. On 29 November, the Kelantan State Forestry Department (KSFD) took uncompromising action by dismantling the Orang Asli’s blockades and arresting about 41 of the Orang Asli. They were then released within 24 hours of the arrest. The Commission is dismayed at the uncalled-for reaction of the authorities to the Orang Asli blockades against the logging activities, and the indifference SUHAKAM ANNUAL REPORT 2016 55 suhakam 2new.indd 55 3/23/17 5:54 PM