The Indigenous Semai tribe in Malaysia have achieved a significant legal victory in their long-running battle to protect their ancestral land from the impacts of a hydroelectric dam project. The high court in Malaysia’s Perak state ruled on Monday that the dam developers had failed to properly consult with or gain the consent of the Semai before beginning construction on their land in the village, or kampung, of Ulu Geruntum, in the town of Gopeng. Bhupindar Singh, the presiding judge, ordered the companies — Perak Hydro Renewable Energy Corporation (PHREC) and Conso Hydro RE — to halt all operations immediately and to vacate the area and remove all equipment within 30 days. This ruling is a major milestone for Indigenous land rights in Malaysia, where such projects frequently conflict with the rights and traditions of Indigenous communities. Goik Kenzin, the lawyer for the developers, said, “We expect our clients and the state and federal [governments] to appeal but no confirmation yet.” A waterfall in Ulu Geruntum, Malaysia, where an Indigenous community has waged a long-running battle against a hydroelectric dam project in their ancestral land. Image by Sheikh Izham via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). Malaysia’s Indigenous peoples, known collectively as the Orang Asal, make up about 11% of the country’s population. Those in Peninsular Malaysia, called the Orang Asli, comprise just 0.7% of the population, and have historically struggled to safeguard their customary lands against encroachment by both state-backed and private development initiatives. The court’s decision comes after years…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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