In the second part of the NST series on the challenges and issues facing the Orang Asli, AZDEE AMIR takes a look at their day-to-day lives, including those who have moved out of their villages.
IN the most remote Orang Asli villages and settlements in rural areas and in the forests, villagers will quietly retreat to their huts and peer at visitors from a distance.
The village headman, known as the tok batin, or a village elder, will then go forward to find out why outsiders have arrived at their village.
In the remote Temiar village of Ong Jangking in the forests off Gerik in Perak, there is no tok batin. The last one died in 2016.
Instead of electing or choosing a replacement, two brothers decided to propose a bold move to effect positive changes in their village. Their suggestion, although initially met with reservations, was wholeheartedly accepted by fellow villagers.
They suggested that members of the village be chosen to sit in a committee comprising about six members. Each family will have a say in decision making. After explaining the rationale behind the approach where every family in the community will have an active role, their idea was accepted and put to the test. It has remained so until today.
The brothers, Ramli Alus, 32, and Anjang Alus, 30, exude confidence and stand apart from the rest of their fellow Temiar villagers. They are the ones who boldly go forward to meet outsiders arriving at their village.
“Ramli and I think ahead for the benefit of the village. Our parents had a different mindset as well. When we were growing up, other Orang Asli villagers were reluctant to send their children to a school far away to learn. But our parents packed us off so that we would be educated. We spent 11 years staying in the Sri Didik hostel as we completed our primary and secondary education.
“Once we completed schooling, we decided to return to our village. Despite being away for more than a decade, we have always looked to home as this is where we were born and bred.
“It was only natural that we return instead of venture off into the outside world as we wanted to help our families and make sure that we can contribute as much as we can to their wellbeing and safety,” said Anjang.
Ramli said: “It’s not to say that being educated and living for years in the modern, outside world did not attract or influence us to try living a totally different life. We did think about it for some time and even did some travelling to a few places like Kuala Lumpur. But in the end we knew that we preferred our traditional way of life. We are accustomed and used to the simple life.
“However, being educated in the outside world opened our eyes to all sorts of experiences. It gave us a different perspective and way of thinking, which we try to put to good use for the sake and betterment of our families and village.”
Anjang and Ramli have settled down and have families of their own. They do not regret their decision to return to live in the forest. Their routine is to lead men on daily hunting expeditions with their blowpipes and darts, as well as machetes, accompanied by a pack of up to slightly more than half a dozen of their loyal dogs. They hunt animals, from wild boars, snakes, monkeys, fish and squirrels.
“We hold firm to our traditions, customs, beliefs and the old way of life because it is part of who we are and we are proud of our heritage. We eat just about anything that’s edible, be it raw or cooked,” Ramli said.
“Hunting big animals, such as wild boar, is anything but easy, as even after shooting them with poisonous darts, the animal will not immediately go down,” Anjang said. “If it’s a bull, it can take up to an hour or two before the animal finally drops dead. During that time we will follow the animal at a safe distance as they can charge at us and inflict serious injuries if we’re not careful. If not, the dogs will go in as a pack and finish the job.”
The hunting party, which may be made up of as few as three to more than six people, usually go out to hunt either early in the morning or at night after dinner.
Meals can be quite the occasion as the villagers eat together as a group, with the men eating first together with some of the children, and the women later with the rest of the children and elderly folk. When the village turns in for the night, the men take turns to stay awake and guard the village to ensure that their families and fellow villagers can enjoy a safe and good night’s sleep.