Do Not Arbitrarily Use Term ‘Customary Land’ - Al-Sultan Abdullah

ROMPIN, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today said that the term “customary land” (tanah adat) should not be used arbitrarily, particularly in matters involving the Orang Asli community.

Al-Sultan Abdullah said that in Peninsular Malaysia, particularly Pahang, the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 [Act 134] did not provide for a category of land known as customary land.

He said the specific terms provided under Act 134 were “Orang Asli Area” under Section 6 and “Orang Asli Reserve” under Section 7, which could be gazetted by the state authority through a notification in the Gazette.

“Let us not arbitrarily use the term ‘customary land’ as though every area that has been occupied, entered or used automatically becomes a right.

“Lately, there have been far too many issues involving land and encroachment in Pahang, which to some extent affects relations with and perceptions of the palace and the state government...from the past until now, we have never mistreated any Orang Asli community,” he said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah said this when officiating a Kenduri Rakyat Programme in conjunction with Orang Asli Day 2026 at Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Mok here.

Tengku Mahkota Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah was also present, while Deputy Prime Minister and Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail also attended.

The Sultan said the state government had never intended to deny the rights of the Orang Asli, adding that their welfare must be respected, preserved and protected in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

He said the Constitution itself allowed specific provisions for the protection and advancement of the Orang Asli, including the reservation of land. 

“However, rights must go hand in hand with the law. Under Act 134, the state authority has the power to grant rights to occupy certain land within an Orang Asli Area or Orang Asli Reserve,” he said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah said a claim could not be accepted merely because an area was referred to as customary land.

“The land status, gazettement, boundaries, history of occupation and facts on the ground must first be examined in accordance with the law,” he said.

The Sultan also expressed hope that the processes of surveying, demarcating and gazetting Orang Asli areas would be expedited to ensure that land allocated to the community is properly protected while preventing overlapping and the expansion of claims without limit.

“I do not want any party, whether individuals, organisations or interested parties, to confuse the Orang Asli community by giving the impression that every area they claim is customary land that automatically belongs to them.

“I do not want what happened in Jemeri, Rompin, and Kampung Cot in Maran to recur elsewhere. The authorities must play a more proactive role to prevent such incidents from happening again,” said Al-Sultan Abdullah.

-- BERNAMA 

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