Ramli, who is also Cameron Highlands MP, said access to education for the Orang Asli has been an ongoing issue, from when Malaysia gained independence from the British until now.
“Right now there is no quota for the enrolment of Orang Asli children in MRSM, so I request to have a 5% quota to be allocated for the community,” he told a press conference on the sidelines of the 2024 Bumiputera economic congress here.
“But I would like to stress that, when such opportunities are given, the community should take it and not let it go to waste,” he said.
Ramli, the nation’s first Orang Asli to be elected MP and appointed deputy speaker, also stressed that the community needs to change their mindset in order to be more progressive.
“No one can do this for us but ourselves, so let’s start by sending our children to school. We need to be educated and can’t just let people label us as the group who only relies on (government) subsidies,” he said.
Ramli also reiterated his call for constitutional amendments on matters pertaining to the Orang Asli community.
“You cannot deny us anymore. You have denied us for too long. Now is our chance to change the Federal Constitution as we have a two-third’s majority.
“Otherwise, I will tell the prime minister myself that you have failed to take care of the Orang Asli,” he said.
Ramli previously suggested that the Federal Constitution be amended to resolve land issues affecting the Orang Asli, saying that currently laws relating to indigenous people and laws that regulated land matters fell under separate jurisdictions.
The welfare of Orang Asli comes under the First List – laws that are the responsibility of the federal government. Land matters are part of the Second List – laws under the purview of state governments.
Ramli lamented the current situation where even though Putrajaya could push for a plot of land to be gazetted exclusively for Orang Asli, state governments would have the final say.
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