Logging and farming activities are leading to shrinking forests and causing the Orang Asli communities in Sungei Siput, Perak, to lose their economic mainstay.
To eke out a living, and making use of the natural environment of the remaining forest space they dwell in, some of the Orang Asli have ventured into ecotourism.
In fact, in Pos Yum, about 60 kilometres from Sungei Siput and home to the Temiar Orang Asli indigenous group, a resort of sorts – called Pos Yum Chalet – has already been up and running since August last year.
It currently has 14 chalets, all built and operated by the Orang Asli themselves. Located beside the serene Sungai Yum and surrounded by plenty of green foliage, the chalets come with no frills and are only furnished with mattresses.
There is electricity supply but water is only available in the four common toilets close to where the chalets are located. As the chalet operators do not provide meals, space is provided for guests to cook but they have to bring their own stoves and utensils.
The chalets are rented out at RM60 per chalet per night.
Despite the lack of modern comforts and conveniences, the riverside Pos Yum Chalet is a big hit as more than 2,000 people – probably enticed by its natural setting and tranquility – have visited it since it opened five months ago.
This thriving ecotourism project is a testament to the diligence of the local Orang Asli villagers who are now more receptive to venturing into business.
Having moved on from foraging for forest produce, they are being drawn to the economic opportunities around them. Not only that, their attitudes and way of thinking have also changed and they are interacting more confidently with other Malaysians.
This writer had the opportunity to visit Pos Yum Chalet recently when she was invited to join a three-day trip to the Orang Asli settlements of Pos Yum and Pos Kuala Mu in Sungai Siput, organised by the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) for the Malaysian Senators Council from Jan 11 to 13.
It takes about an hour to get to Pos Yum from the town of Sungai Siput and it would have been an entirely scenic drive if not for the sight of a few areas ravaged by logging activities.
Pos Yum has five Orang Asli villages, namely Kampung Yum, Kampung Pendeq, Kampung Mangyes, Kampung Kutai and Kampung Beswok, with a population of about 800.
The previous laterite road leading to Pos Yum was upgraded to a tarred road last February, making it easier for the villagers and visitors to travel to the settlements that are located on the fringes of the forest.
To get to Pos Yum Chalet, one would have to drive through Kampung Yum where more than 250 Temiar people live in houses built under Jakoa ‘s Structured Settlements Development Programme.
On arrival at the jungle “resort”, one is greeted by the sound of the river burbling and chirping of birds. The beauty of the surrounding greenery and orchards is a sight for sore eyes. What is more, the chalet premises look spick and span with not a piece of garbage in sight.
The chalets, built out of materials sourced from the local forest, were developed by the Kampung Yum Residents Cooperative.
Village headman Pandak Liong, 48, who is also the cooperative chairman, said they started with two chalets that were completed in April last year. The number of units has now expanded to 14, constructed by 30 villagers in the spirit of gotong-royong.
“We decided to build more chalets as the demand for the first two chalets we built was getting higher every month,” he said.
Pandak said the Kampung Yum villagers used to dwell in the area where the chalets are located but after they moved into the government-built houses in 2003, the land was abandoned.
Early last year, they decided to build a hut by the riverside where the villagers could rest and relax.
“After the hut was completed, some people from Sungai Siput who came to our area to fish sought our permission to stay at the hut. Since then, many people started coming here on the weekends,” said Pandak.
It was then that he realised that the area has the potential to be developed for recreational purposes and he went on to discuss the idea with his fellow villagers. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Pandak and his team’s building skills were put to the test when building the first two chalets. Using rattan, bamboo and bertam (a plant in the palm family that grows luxuriously in the forest) as their building materials, they used the leaves of the bertam to make the roof while its fronds, as well as bamboo and rattan, were used for the walls and the flooring, and wood for the pillars.
The two chalets, which took them two months to complete, also have walls made of woven bertam leaves featuring the kelarai or checkered pattern.
The headman said the weaving was done by a cooperative member who was equipped with the skill.
However, the chalets that were built subsequently do not feature similar walls as weaving the bertam leaves was a time-consuming affair.
“So, we used bamboo and rattan to build the walls of our other chalets even though bertam is hardier,” he added.
Visitors to Pos Yum can also opt for camping on the chalet grounds but they have to bring their own equipment.
Besides enjoying the serene atmosphere of the jungle, the visitors will also get to learn to use the blowpipe, cook food in bamboo and perform the sewang dance, which is the traditional dance of the Orang Asli.
Pos Yum Chalet is only open on weekends and public holidays except during the school holidays when it remains open daily.
“We’ve many people coming during the weekends, and especially during the school holidays,” said Pandak, adding that those intending to stay in Pos Yum Chalet have to make reservations at least three months ahead.
He also said that during a recent visit to Pos Yum by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Datuk Azumu, he (Pandak) requested for help to build a community hall so that they can accept bookings for seminars.
As for their plans for this year, Pandak said the village cooperative intends to build 16 more chalets to bring the total number to 30.
He also said that their chalet business has yet to yield a profit as whatever income they derive was being used as revolving capital and to offset their operating costs.
“We expect to make a profit within two years,” said Pandak, who envisions the chalet project as a stepping stone for his community to stand on their own feet without being dependent on others. – Bernama
