Call for more initiatives to protect rights of native communities

Speaking up: One of the participants at a recent conference on native rights speaking on issues affecting the natives in the country. - Photo courtesy of Jaringan

MIRI: Some 132 organisations throughout Malaysia representing indigenous people of Sarawak, Sabah and the Peninsular states are calling on the Malaysian and state governments to initiate more assertive moves to protect the rights of the native communities in this country.

These 132 organisations had pledged their support towards the move by Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) to attend the coming World Conference on Indigenous Peoples to be held prior to the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York on Sept 22.