Empowering the Orang Asli

Surrounded by sounds of nature and birds flying overhead, the village where time has almost stood still, was a breath of fresh air for this writer, especially after almost two years of having to live under the movement control order (MCO) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This writer was among 15 Malaysian media representatives participating in a workshop on environmental journalism on March 18 organised by Internews and Native, two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in partnership with Orang Asli communities.

As part of the programme, participants were taken on a jungle trekking trip to the village, which is home to the Temuan ethnic group, with an Orang Asli forest guide leading the way into the woods.

Besides experiencing the real beauty of nature, participants were given the opportunity of a lifetime to marvel at rare flora and fauna while gaining insightful knowledge on the indigenous cultures.

The gentle water flow from the Serendah River and the peaceful sounds of singing birds accompanied our journey.

JUNGLE TREKKING

Early morning, the media group gathered at a pickup point in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, before starting our one-hour journey to the village, which took almost an hour.

Upon arrival there, we were welcomed by the host and forest guide Elok Sapa, 68, and two coordinators from Native, Emily Wong and Colin Ray.

"Organised jointly with our Orang Asli partners, we spent around five weeks venturing into jungles to cut trails before delivering the cultural experiences to each of the tour we brought," said Wong during a security briefing.

"In addition, we created this programme to help the indigenous community earn incomes besides promoting awareness on forest conservation," he said during the briefing.

"Let's go! Elok, who prefers to be called Pak cik (Uncle) Elok, signalled to the media group after the briefing.

For one who has not been on a jungle trail for a long time, this three-hour journey was very challenging and tested my physical resilience.

What was even more challenging was the painful experience of being swarmed by ravenous mosquitoes from every direction, but they were warded off with aerosol repellents.

The hiking trail left most of us breathless, but Pak cik Elok, despite his age, was still steady, expertly guiding us through the journey and clearing off the grass and bushes with a small parang that were blocking the way.

Our trip was briefly halted by a strong odour of kerdas, which had a similar strong stinky aroma as petai and jering.

"We use it as ulam (traditional salad), nice to eat with sambal (chilli paste). However, you can't take too much of the kerdas. Especially telling is the smell of your urine after eating the bean as it can persist for a while," said Pak cik Elok, as he picked the beans from the kerdas tree.

"Nice, it tastes like garlic but it is kind of stinky like petai once you pop it in your mouth and start chewing," said Nadiah Rosli, 37, a participant from the group.

We continued forward, hiking through several steep and slippery hills due to heavy rain a day earlier. At times, some participants would fall due to the slippery path. The muddy trail also slowed us down.

TABOOS

As we proceeded ahead, long, feathery leaves of nipah palm were seen scattered on the ground. Pak cik Elok then sat down and started to weave the palm leaves, which he said will be used to produce attap for the Orang Asli houses.

"Bertam tree leaves are also used as building materials for our house and they are used as attap. The leaves are water proof," he said, adding that before weaving them, the bertam leaves will be smoked to soften the structure.

"Usually, the bertam attap can last for three to six months. In addition, the bertam trunk can produce fishing rods," said Pak cik Elok, adding that the bertam tree is a thorny plant, hence extra care is needed when cutting the trees.

While taking a breather at the pondok, Pak cik Elok shared some of the 'pantang larang' or taboos for visitors while they are in the forest.

"For us Orang Asli community, every object in the forest has its own spirit which influences our lives. As an example, we believe that every forest has its owner and if you are at a place, you should ask for permission first and follow the rules.

"While no inhabitant is seen in the jungle, we should respect the forest by not being loud, screaming without any reason or laughing incessantly.

"Don't react or say anything unnecessarily, jesting or plucking any flowers in the forest as it can cause you to lose your way out of the forest or will be possessed (by an evil spirit)," he said.

ORANG ASLI LIFESTYLE

After almost three hours, we finally reached the 'finishing line' and proceeded to a large area near a waterfall for our lunch prepared by the Temuan community.

For this writer, the tour was exhausting yet meaningful and memorable. In particular, the jungle trekking was a thrilling and adventurous experience.

On our way to the waterfall, we noticed that most houses in the village were far modern, with adequate water and electricity facilities as well as satellite dishes.

This is contrary to my earlier perception of the community as marginalised and living in simple sheds in the forest, no thanks to stereotypical images of the Orang Asli as portrayed by the media.

At the same time, efforts by the government to empower the Orang Asli, as well as initiatives of several NGO in providing job opportunities and generating income through eco-tourism products also helped improve their livelihood.

"Most of the Orang Asli here practise modern lifestyle, stay in brick houses equipped with basic utilities such as water and electricity with some working at factories and some can afford to own cars.

"Other than that, every Orang Asli settlement has access to schools for their children to receive early education, and most of them receive offers to full boarding schools or secondary schools in towns which offer hostel facilities.

"Obviously, the Orang Asli community today are modern compared to the past as the government has embarked on many initiatives to help them in respect of education, job opportunities, agriculture and forestry," said Ray who calls on the general public to participate in the ecotourism activity.

(Those interested can contact Native on their Faceook and Instagram).

DON'T FORGET YOUR ROOTS

For Pak cik Elok and his wife Bidah Anak Datang, 67, despite embracing modernisation, the community still give priority to issues related to maintaining self identity and preserving cultural heritage so that they are not lost with the passage of time.

"We are very grateful to various parties especially the government, who are committed to ensuring the Orang Asli are not totally cut off from civilisation.

"I used to remind my children and the younger generation in the village, no matter where you go, don't forget your roots, and even if you succeed, come back and serve the community," said Bidah.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government has always placed special emphasis on the wellbeing of the Orang Asli in the country, including in the aspect of education.

He said including the Orang Asli is an important agenda under the principle of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) to ensure that they too can shoulder the responsibility to develop the nation with the strong spirit of love for the country.

Meanwhile, the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) has also embarked on various programmes under the Ministry of Rural Development to provide a platform for more Orang Asli children to pursue their education to university level and advance their professional career.

The Keluarga Malaysia concept is given emphasis under the Program Jelajah Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia held today for five days at the Tuan Syed Putra Sports Complex in Kangar, Perlis.