KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 295 out of 853 Orang Asli settlements and villages have been gazetted as Orang Asli areas and reserves. Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Rubiah Wang said the gazetting of the areas, measuring a total of ??40,412 hectares was carried out in accordance with Sections 6 and 7 of the Orang Asli Act 1954 (Act 134). 'The ministry is also resolving issues involving the Orang Asli settlements overlapping with other reserve areas to enable it to be gazetted as an Orang Asli reserve. 'In this regard, the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) is focusing on completing the measurement and gazetting of the Orang Asli areas first to enable them to enjoy development brought to those areas.' Rubiah said this when winding up the debate on the motion for the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) Annual Report and Financial Statement for 2021 and 2022. She said that so far, a total of 272 Orang Asli villages with an area of ??809,677 hectares have been measured and request ed to be gazetted, but have not yet received approval from the state government involved. 'Therefore, JAKOA sincerely hopes that the state governments can give due attention to the applications,' she added. Source: BERNAMA News Agency