Govt to probe if Orang Asli deaths linked to 'mystery disease', says Dr M

The revised East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will see Malaysian contractors having a 40% participation in the RM44bil project, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

MELAKA: Investigations are ongoing into the cause of death of 12 Orang Asli at Kampung Kuala Koh in Gua Musang, Kelantan, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The Prime Minister said investigations would also focus on whether their deaths were caused by a “mystery disease”.

“The government is concerned over the mass death but at this moment, the cause of death has yet to be ascertained,” he said after launching affordable homes at Lipat Kajang here Monday (June 10).

On Sunday (June 9), Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P. Waytha Moorthy said that there were 14 Orang Asli deaths in the area but only two were confirmed to be from pneumonia following post-mortem examinations on the two victims.

Bernama reported that a police operation to locate the graves of 12 Orang Asli from the Batek tribe, said to have died of pneumonia in Kampung Kuala Koh here over the past month, will begin on Tuesday (June 11).