A Selangor State Government staff had to have three stiches on his head after an attack by an encroacher on the customary lands of the Mah Meri in Pulau Carey.
Shaharrin bin Kenkeng, a community mapper with the Selangor Orang Asli Land Task (BBTOAS), was hit on the head with a modified harvesting sickle when he went to check on the land belonging to his brother Roslan in Kampung Bakar Leleh.
Below is a free translation of the joint report made by Shaharrin anak Kengkeng, Embus bin Sengkeng, Rosiah a/p Kengkeng and Roslan bin Ligam at the Teluk Panglima Police Station early this morning:
On the Incident at Kampung Orang Asli Bakar Leleh, Pulau Carey
At 9am on Friday, 17 July 2015, Roslan together with Lila bte Kisa, Udin b Kassim, Ramli b Kisa, Embus, Rosiah and Shaharrin saw a backhoe excavator enter the village. It entered via the farm roads although there was a big road that leads directly to the site. The backhoe then went about working on Roslan’s customary land.
There were two Indian men on the site. One of them we know as Suppiah. The other is his son, who drove the backhoe. They did the earth-clearing works using the backhoe. The backhoe left the site at about noon.
After 1pm, the man named Suppiah returned on his motorcycle (Plate No. BMN 9153, orange and black in colour). He came with a white paint bucket filled with a pineapple sucker and a changkul (hoe). He then planted the pineapple sucker.
Our uncle, Udin b Kassim, then asked him what he was planting on our customary land. The Indian man then scolded us. He saw Shaharrin take a photo of him and he (Suppiah) too took a picture of Shaharrin. He was not happy.
After this, we saw the Indian man use his handphone. About 10 minutes later, an Indian male, who we know to be Suppiah’s son, came in a van. He charged in a threatening manner towards Shaharrin brandishing a (oil palm) harvesting sickle with the curved part of the blade cut off. Shaharrin managed to get a photo. Shaharrin ran but fell, and the Indian man held Shaharrin while hitting him on the head.
Shaharrin however was able to throw the handphone in the direction of Embus. The Indian man then charged in the direction of Embus to get the handphone. The Indian man hit Embus on the head and buttocks using the blunt end of the sickle-knife.
In the meantime, Embus was able to throw the handphone back to Shaharrin who was bleeding at the head. After seeing Shaharrin bleeding a lot, the Indian man left the customary area of Roslan.
The Indian man known as Suppiah, that is the father of the one who attacked Shaharrin, had pulled his son out of the area. Both Indian men left the area about 2pm using their respective van and motorcycle.
Then someone from the Banting police station called Rosiah at about 2.20pm. it was the police who called the ambulance.
The ambulance arrived at 2.35pm and brought Shaharrin to the Government Health Clinic at Teluk Panglima Garang. There Shaharrin received 3 stitches on his head.
We wish to stress that a similar case happened last year (16 September 2014) involving the same parties (the 2 Indian men and us). [See this link for the report on this incident: http://on.fb.me/1u4yvT9]
We also wish to report that Suppiah had frequently referred to his son as a “samseng’ or “gangster” and used this background of him to threaten us.
18 July 2015 | 12.40am
Rosiah relating to Juli Blat of BBTOAS her part of the report.
Report of Rosiah a/p Kengkeng
on the Incident at Kampung Orang Asli Bakar Leleh, Pulau Carey
On 17 July 2015 (Friday) at 9.35 am, Roslan’s nephew came to my house to inform me that Roslan wants me to go to Kampung Bakar Leleh, which is close to my house in Kampung Sungai Bumbun, Pulau Carey.
Roslan said there was some machinery (backhoe excavator) that had entered his customary land. I then informed Shaharrin that machinery had entered Roslan’s customary land.
This is where the pineapple suckers were planted on the day of the incident,
At 9.50am, Embus and I arrived at Kampung Bakar Leleh. I found that there was actually a backhoe there doing land clearing work on Roslan’s customary land. I and Udin bin Kassim then went to see the area being cleared. Then Udin and I went and sat in Roslan’s hut. While I was there, the backhoe was still there, near the shrine.
At that time I called Colin of COAC to inform him of what was happening at Kampung Bakar Leleh.
At about 1pm, after the backhoe had left the area, the Indian man named Suppiah returned on his motorcycle carrying a white (used) paint container and a cangkul (hoe). The Indian man planted something. Udin then went to where the Indian man was and asked. “U tanam apa?” (What are you planting?).
The Indian man replied, “Kenapa u kacau?” (Why are you causing trouble?)
Udin kept quiet and left the scene and headed towards Shaharrin. I saw the Indian man take out his handphone and speak to someone. After less than 10 minutes, a van arrived. An Indian man got out of the van.
Roslan’s wife, Lila bt Kisa, screamed that the Indian man had a weapon. Then Lila informed me that Shaharrin was hit on the head with the weapon.
I once again telephoned Colin to inform him what had happened. From my phone record, this was at 1.47pm.
Then the Indian man named Suppiah pulled the hand of his son away and exited the area.
Colin called back (at 2.09pm) to inform me that he had already informed the police at Teluk Panglima Garang. And that my friend Yein of JOAS had informed the police in Banting.
At about 2.20pm I received a call from the police in Banting asking if it was true that there was a fight in Kampung Bakar Leleh. I said yes, there is an Orang Asli who was struck by an Indian man.
Then the police asked where he was hit, I said in the head region. The police then asked if there was a lot of blood, I said yes. The police then asked if he had been sent to hospital, I said not yet.
Then the police asked if we needed an ambulance, I said can also. The police then asked to remain there and wait for the ambulance.
At about 2.30pm the ambulance arrived and brought Shaharrin and myself to the Government Health Clinic at Teluk Panglima Garang for treatment. Shaharrin received 3 stitches for his head injury.
18 July 2015 | 12.50 am
[Photos of the incident by Shaharrin and Rosiah.]
One of the self-placed boundary markers placed by the encroachers.
The encroachers had built a Hindu shrine on the land perhaps for religious purposes, perhaps to scare away the Mah Meri.
The grave of Gendui (Grandma) Yah, who died early last year, is located in the area encroached upon.
Preparing the joint report of the incident.
Shaharrin showing the blood-stained t-shirt he was using that afternoon.
Shaharrin and Roslan
COAC intern Jia Shern double-checking the contents of Rosiah’s report with her.
Discussing the next steps.