Federal Court awards RM20,000 each to seven Orang Asli villagers over desecrated ancestral graves (opens original article in a new tab)

The Federal Court ordered RM20,000 in damages for seven Orang Asli villagers whose ancestral graves were destroyed, overturning a previous ruling that favored a prawn farming company.

• Federal Court ruled in favor of seven Orang Asli villagers, ordering RM20,000 each in general damages for desecrated ancestral graves.
• The decision overturned the Court of Appeal's 2024 ruling that favored Agrobest (M) Sdn Bhd and its employees.
• The High Court had previously found that the villagers successfully proved their connection to the burial sites and that the company's actions violated their native proprietary rights.