“We have always looked out for the Orang Asli, Chinese and Indians in Kelantan,” said PAS Vice-President Idris Ahmad in response to criticism made yesterday by a delegate to Parti Amanah Negara’s national convention.

The Amanah delegate from Kelantan, Che Ibrahim Muhammad, said the PAS government in the state had a religious obligation to ensure that the Orang Asli were not denied their right to lands they had occupied for decades.

Idris said Amanah members interested in knowing what PAS had done should read Harakahdaily.

“They think we have no another work than to talk about hudud 24 hours a day,” he said. “Hudud is not the only cause we are fighting for. We’ve done a lot of changes for Kelantan.”

Che Ibrahim made his remark in the light of the stand off between the Kelantan government and the Temiar community of Gua Musang.

The Temiars are fighting to protect their native land in the Balah forest reserve from logging activities. Last week, state authorities demolished blockades that members of the community had set up to prevent loggers from gaining access to the land. Some protesters were arrested.

PAS too pre-occupied with shariah, Orang Asli rights ignored