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Cameron Highland's 'commando' innkeeper

KUALA LUMPUR: Former soldier John Bah Tuin, who once held off 10 robbers with just a parang, has always wanted to advance his people's traditional ways and improve the quality of life for the Orang Asli.

With a successful rainforest inn at the Orang Asli settlement of Kg Menson in Cameron Highlands, John is hoping that his endeavours would inspire his kinsmen to move beyond their laid-back way of life.

John, who ran a grocery store business before he started the inn, wants his people to be more involved in deciding on important issues that affect their communities such as to the issues of land usage and ownership.

"I learned how to overcome obstacles, difficulties, trials and tribulations to get where I am today.

"I could live comfortably with the grocery store business, but am determined that entrepreneurship is important in changing the way we live and work so that we don't depend on the government for our welfare," said John, who comes from the Semai people who are settled in the central highlands of Peninsular Malaysia.

He said people were skeptical when he expressed his intention to build an inn from scratch on a plot of ancestral land, and they warned him not to embark on a fool's errand.

But he saw potential in the land, located in a pristine forest with a clean, unspoilt river, a rarity as most rivers in Cameron Highlands are heavily polluted due to extensive farming.

And so, unperturbed by the critics, he decided to go ahead and used his savings to clear the land and build traditional Orang Asli bamboo and thatch houses.

He hired fellow villagers to work as he redid the landscape, adding significant value to the inn as he transformed the place into a serene and peaceful countryside retreat far removed from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

He also made full use of social media such as Facebook to promote the place and build good relationships with customers.

"It's also important to seek advice as one of the strategies in growing the business.

"There's no harm in getting a second opinion even in seemingly straightforward situations," said John, who works with a local Chinese partner from Ringlet.

Guests who stayed there, from Malaysia and all over the world including the United States, Europe and Japan, have nothing but praise for the place and the inn is rated 9.0 out of 10 on Agoda.com.

Several times, the place had been ruined by flooding during rainy season, but each time he picked up the pieces and rebuilt it.

He had also been cheated by unscrupulous travel agents who did not pay what they owed.

"I am weary as things can go wrong again, but I also know that at the proper time I will reap a harvest if I do not give up.

"More importantly, I want to send a message to my people - never tire of doing what if good for oneself, family and the community," he said.

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