Hope Flickers for Jahut Christians

The Temerloh High Court today ordered that the hearing over the non-supply of water and electricity to a Jahut church in Kampung Pasu to proceed as planned on Aug 15.It threw out the respondents' – the Temerloh District & Land Office and the Pahang State Government – preliminary objection to the hearing on the basis of the application by the orang aslis being submitted late.

However, the Jahut Christians will still have to worship by candlelight as Judge Datuk Abdul Halim Aman refused to order the respondents to establish water and electricity supply pending a judgment on the case.

"Who knows how long this case will drag on? The defendants have not even filed their affidavit yet," Annou Xavier, one of the counsels for the Jahuts told The Malaysian Insider.

The group of Jahut Christians from Kampung Pasu, led by village elder, Wet bin Ket and his son, Yaman bin Wet, are seeking a judicial review over the local district and land office's refusal to supply their village church with water and electricity for the past 2 years.

The villagers, who embraced Christianity in 2000, built the church in Wet's backyard with his permission in 2003. But it was demolished by the local authorities who ruled that they were erecting an illegal structure as they had not obtained proper approval from the authorities.

In 2006, they won RM35,000 as compensation to rebuild their church, which they also use as a tuition centre for their school-going children, and as a nursery for the younger ones.

Xavier said that the reasons given by the local authorities are that the building was erected on land not gazetted and that the building was erected as a place of worship without the approval of the local district and land office.

The Orang Asli are however contesting that decision based on their native rights.
By Shannon Teoh, Malaysian Insider

Tags: Jahut Christian, Jahut Church, Malaysia, Kampung Pasu, Temerloh, Temerloh High Court, Malaysian Insider, Temerloh District & Land Office, Pahang State Government, Orang Asli, Christianity