Amani Williams Hunt Abdullah

Born Anthony Williams-Hunt, he is the only son of Peter Darell Rider Williams-Hunt, the advisor to the aborigines in Malaysia shortly after World War II, and Wah Draman, an Orang Asli woman of Semai tribe from Kuala Woh located at the foot of the Cameron Highlands.[5] His father, Peter Darell Rider Williams-Hunt died in an accident at an orang asli village in the jungle when he was barely one year old.

Peter Williams-Hunt had made a journey to Tapah for the wedding of his sister-in-law. On the return trek to Wah Draman's village, the wooden bridge he was crossing collapsed, and in his fall Peter Williams-Hunt's chest was pierced by one of the wooden supports. He died eight days later in Batu Gajah Hospital on 11 June 1953.

Popularly known as Bah Tony to the Orang Asli, he is a former president of the Peninsula Malaysia Orang Asli Association. He is active in welfare and social work and is a founder member of the orang asli foundation, YOAP Berhad.

He is now a council member of the Orang Asli Development Advisory Council, a think-tank set up by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, and also sits on the Orang Asli Rights Committee in the Malaysian Bar Council. Amani Williams and his colleague Augustine Anthony, had actively helped to acquit four Orang Asli men charged with killing a tiger on 27 October 2012. Yok Rayau Yok Senian (50), Yok Kalong Bah Rapee (51), Yok Mat Bah Chong (48) and Hassan Bah Ong (33), all from the Semai tribe of an Orang Asli settlement near Sungkai were jointly charged under the 1972 Wild Life (Protection) Act for killing with a shotgun a tiger, which is a protected and listed species under the act.[7]

It was reported in the media that the four and another friend, Yok Meneh Yok Din, 47, had gone to the Bukit Tapah forest reserve to collect jungle produce when a tiger attacked Yok Meneh. One of the four then shot the tiger dead to save their friend from being attacked. Eight prosecution witnesses testified in the trial.

The four orang asli men, were acquitted and discharged by the magistrate's court in Tapah.[8] Magistrate Fairuz Adiba Ismail made the decision after the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against the four accused.[9] There were shouts of joy outside the courtroom when news filtered in about the acquittal. Some 30 orang asli people, dressed in their traditional attire, had gathered at the court building to provide moral support.

In celebratory mood, the Orang Asli held a thanksgiving to celebrate the acquittal at Kampong Chang Sungai Gepai, Bidor. The two lawyers who fought their case pro bono, Augustine Anthony and Amani Williams were guests of honour.

Amani Williams Hunt Abdullah, joined Democratic Action Party (DAP) in June 2011 to seek a platform to highlight Orang Asli concerns and help his community to put their plight on the national agenda. Eighteen months after joining DAP, the activist was said to become disillusioned after learning that he could not help his community through the party.[10][11]

He left the party, dealing a serious blow and raising a question mark over its multi-racial stance and commitment to help the indigenous people. Amani's resignation was reportedly due to being disillusioned with the factional politics and dynastic domination in Perak, as well as the warlords allied to the family. He was not into the Perak factional politics.[12][13][14][15]

In 2013, Amani Williams became the first Malaysian Aborigines to stand Malaysia's General Election; the first time in the history of the Peninsular Malaysia.[16][17] He had contested the Malaysia's 13th election on the ticket of People's Justice Party (PKR) of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but lost to Mah Hang Soon the incumbent from Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) of Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.[18]