MALAYSIA: A Breakthrough Decision Favoring the Orang Asli

For the first time, on April 12, 2002, the Shah Alam High Court has ruled in favor of Malaysia’s Orang Asli indigenous people. In this case, seven Orang Asli individuals sued the Federal and State Governments, United Engineers and the Malaysian Highway Authority for the loss of their land obtained in 1996 for the construction of the KL-Nilai Highway. See Spotlight Article