Resettlement of Orang Asli (Aborigines) in Malaysia—Marginalization or Demarginalization of an Ethnic Group

Abstract

The Orang Asli, the aboriginal of Malaysia, is the smallest and most marginalized community in Peninsular Malaysia. They are geographically and socio-economically marginalized, due to their geographic settings in and near the forests and the community’s low education and income levels. Despite working on the land and foraging the forest for generations, they do not have land titles which put them at the disadvantaged in Malaysia’s Torrent Land Law system. To provide better health and education services and to improve their socio-economic conditions, the government has embarked on various resettlement and redevelopment programs for the community. While generally the programs have demarginalized many Orang Asli, there are some who have become more marginalized due to their inability to cope in a newer and more modern settings. This chapter evaluates this situation in three such schemes.