Juli Blat, the BBTOAS coordinator, finalising the letter of support for YB Elizabeth Wong as EXCO member.
A victim of the Selangor Menteri Besar political crisis was the Badan Bertindak Tanah Orang Asli (BBTOAS), or the Selangor Orang Asli Land Task Force.
Consisting of Orang Asli members, the committee was the initiative of YB Elizabeth Wong, a PKR EXCO member under the tenure of MB Khalid Ibrahim. The main task of the committee was to map out the Orang Asli territories in the state with a view to getting them gazetted as Orang Asli reserves.
However, when the Menteri Besar (MB, Chief Minister) was dismissed from his party (PKR, the lead party in the state ruling coalition), the MB retaliated by sacking all the DAP and PKR EXCO members. And with this, the BBTOAS was automatically disbanded.
Once the new MB was appointed last Tuesday, moves were under way by various parties to lobby for the EXCO positions. It looked like YB Elizabeth (who had held the Environment portfolio before, but also took on Orang Asli matters under her wing) would be josting for the post with many others.
In light of this, members of the BBTOAS decided to show support for her, and to urge the new MB to revive the BBTOAS. YB Eli has since been retained as an EXCO member in the lineup announced today. With this, we are hopeful that the BBTOAS will be able to continue its work. Perhaps with more urgency now.
COAC | 27 September 2014
Some of the BBTOAS members in the COAC office discussing the letter of support.