GUA MUSANG: The Orang Asli in Pos Pulat who are affected by the implementation of the Nenggiri Hydroelectric project are hoping the new settlement built for them will be completed on schedule in March 2026.

Chairman of Pos Pulat Orang Asli Village Development and Security Committee (JPKKOA) Liman Ahong said the 353 residents from 86 Orang Asli families in the area also hope that all facilities and economic benefits in the new settlement would be as promised in the agreement signed.

He said, according to the agreement, each family will receive a three-room house measuring ​​750 square feet on a 0.2-hectare land, an orchard (0.2 hectares) and a rubber plantation (2.2 hectares), in addition to public facilities such as a school, a kindergarten, a clinic, a surau and shop lots.

"The residents are eager to move to the new settlement. Even though we have lived here in Pos Pulat for a long time, the infrastructure and facilities at the new settlement are way better.

"However, we do hope that the maintenance aspect would also be given attention, especially for roads, because there was a proper paved road heading to the area before, but over time and without proper maintenance, the road is now in very poor condition,” he told Bernama ahead of the by-election for Nenggiri state seat slated for Aug 17.

Located about an hour and 30 minutes drive from the town of Gua Musang, Pos Pulat is one of the five Orang Asli posts in the Nenggiri state constituency.

Liman said the new settlement is located close to the original settlement and was chosen by the Orang Asli themselves to maintain the lifestyle and traditions of the Temiar tribe.

A resident, Raman Awing, 70, hopes that basic amenities such as electricity and water in the new settlement will be more stable than in Pos Pulat which often experiences supply disruptions.

"We hope the government will also help us improve our farming and economic activities at the new place,” said the rubber tapper.

Another resident, Mazlan Mohamed, 38, said although it was sad to have to leave Pos Pulat, the new settlement was more organised with complete infrastructure and facilities.

"Even though the new settlement is better, the memories of the old village will forever be in my heart,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gua Musang District Officer Nik Raisnan Daud was recently reported as saying that the resettlement project involving 832 hectares of land for 249 heads of household from Pos Pulat, Pos Tohoi and Kg Wias, is now 25 per cent completed.

He said the new settlement would be divided into two plots, namely Plot A involving those from Pos Pulat and Kg Wias in Bukit Beringin, and Plot B involving those from Pos Tohoi in Kuala Yai.

The Nenggiri Hydroelectric Project, which costs RM5bil, is expected to be completed by mid-2027 and will create a ​​53.84 sq km Main Reservoir Lake and a ​​0.97 sq km Flow Regulation Pond.

It is learned that the entire Pos Pulat will be submerged in the water reservoir lake for the hydroelectric project.

The Nenggiri by-election was called after Kelantan State Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah declared the seat vacant on June 19 because its assemblyman, Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, had ceased to be a member of Bersatu on June 13.

The by-election sees a straight fight between Barisan Nasional candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani representing the Unity Government and PAS candidate Mohd Rizwadi Ismail representing Perikatan Nasional. - Bernama

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/07/nenggiri-hydropower-project-orang-asli-in-pos-pulat-hope-new-settlement-will-be-ready-on-time