Pribumi word hijacked by Perkasa, Orang Asli said

Perkasa, whose pro-Malay radical extremism has upset many Chinese, Indians and even Malays, has found itself another opponent — the Orang Asli.

Dewi Malam, a Tok Batin from Kampung Orang Asli in Pulau Kempas, said Perkasa had robbed his people of their identity by using the word “pribumi” in its name.

Perkasa is short for Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia, which can be translated as the Malaysian Organisation for Great Natives. It is headed by controversial opportunist politician named Ibrahim Ali, who founded it as a body claiming to defend Malay rights, privileges, promoting hate on other races and to seek revenge on their alleged missing identity.

“But pribumi means orang asal (original people),” said Dewi. “They are the original owners of all the land in the peninsula. They do not have to pay for the land because they are its owner.

“That is what a pribumi is. He is master, sultan, king.”

Dewi said pribumi is not synonymous with Bumiputera, a word coined by Malaysia’s first premier, Tunku Abdul Rahman, to refer to the Malays and indigenous peoples.

“Perkasa members cannot call themselves pribumi. They can only call themselves Bumiputera.”

Dewi, a Temuan tribesman, said that even the word Melayu had been abused. According to him, it is a Temuan word meaning “the people who work” and originally referred to six related pribumi tribes: Kuala, Kanaq, Seletar, Jakun, Semelai and Temuan - Agencies.