JOHOR BAHRU: The Seletar tribe of the Orang Asli community in the Pulai parliamentary constituency wants the elected representative in the coming by-election prioritises quality education for their children.

They believe that this will help prevent them from being left behind in the country's development.

Although the government has provided schooling facilities near their villages in Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Temon and Kampung Orang Asli Bakar Batu, the community wants more efforts made to encourage their children to attend school and understand the importance of education.

The Tok Batin (Orang Asli chief) of Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Temon, Salim Palon, who has held the post for almost 40 years, is open to suggestions for educational development.

He believes that education is essential for improving families' economic standing, especially in rapidly developing urban areas and suggests placing teaching staff in the village to conduct tuition classes at least once a week for children.

"Although we (Orang Asli of the Seletar tribe) love the sea, I often emphasise to them that education is very important to improve the economic standing of one's family, more so that we are living in a rapidly developing urban area," he told Bernama

According to Salim, there are currently a total of 30 Orang Asli children in Sungai Temon enrolled at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sungai Danga and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato' Usman Awang here, while nine others are continuing their studies at institutions of higher learning (IPT).

Meanwhile, the Tok Batin of Kampung Orang Asli Bakar Batu, Kais Kie, wants additional classes to be held to attract the interest of children in the village to study.

At the moment, he said, the state government has provided various assistance to the community, including sending 10 children to SK Taman Sutera, but more needs to be done.

"The children in the village would rather follow their parents to the sea than go to school. It would be better if there is a teacher in the village to hold classes, including computer classes, to at least teach them the basics of using computer equipment and also other skills," he added.

He said there are 15 children aged between seven and nine years in the village who have dropped out of school.

Apart from education, Kais, 62, also hoped that the elected representative would focus on developing their village, including the building of a new jetty to replace the existing one which is dilapidated considering that the Orang Asli community of Seletar depended entirely on the produce of the sea.

According to the Johor Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA), the Seletar Orang Asli are one of the tribes in the Proto-Malay group and they are a group of coastal and sea travellers who live on islands, coastal areas and river basins.

Its director, Faisal Long said Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Temon has 289 residents involving 74 families, while Kampung Orang Asli Bakar Batu has 211 residents involving 52 families. The community makes a living by fishing.

Of the total number of residents in the two villages, he said, 306 of them are eligible to vote in the Pulai parliamentary by-election this Sept 9.

The by-election was called following the death of its incumbent Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub last July 23 due to a brain haemorrhage.

The Amanah deputy president and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister was also the incumbent Simpang Jeral Assemblyman.

The Election Commission (EC) has set Sept 9 as polling day for both by-elections with early voting on Sept 5.

The Pulai parliamentary by-election will feature a three-way contest between Suhaizan Kaiat from Pakatan Harapan (PH), Zulkifli Jaafar from Perikatan Nasional (PN), and independent candidate Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi.

-- BERNAMA