Orang Asli in West Malaysia.

Orang Asli (lit. “original people”, “natural people” or “aboriginal people” in Malay), is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia. Officially, there are 18 orang asli tribes. Orang Asli kept to themselves until the first traders from India arrived in first millennium AD. Living in the interior they bartered inland products like resins, incense woods and feathers for salt, cloth and iron tools. The rise of the Malay sultanates, coinciding with trade in Orang Asli slaves, forced the group to retreat further inland to avoid contact with outsiders. The arrival of British colonists brought further inroads in the lives of Orang Asli.They were the target of Christian missionary and subjects of anthropological research.
Slave raids into Orang Asli settlements were quite common feature back in the 18th and 19th centuries. These slave-raiders were mainly local Malays and Bataks, who considered the Orang Asli as ‘kafirs’, ‘non-humans’, ‘savages’ and ‘jungle-beasts.’ The modus operandi was basically to swoop down a settlement and then kill off all the adult men. Women and children were captured alive as they are ‘easier to tame.’ The captives Orang Asli slaves were sold off or given to local rulers and chieftains to gain their favour. Slaves trade soon developed and even continued into the present century despite the official abolition of all forms of slavery in 1884. The derogatory term sakai was used to refer to the Orang Asli until the middle of the 20th century meant slave or dependent. Many of the elders Orang Asli still remember this period of their history, and they detest being called Sakai.

In 2000, the Orang Asli comprise only 0.5% of the total population in Malaysia. Their population is approximately 148,000.
Text adapted from Wikipedia’s article on the Orang Asli.
Most of the photos here are photograph by my daughter using Panasonic DMC Lumix LX3.During her field work trip to Pos Orang Asli Senderut,Kuala Lipis in Pahang.
Photo edited by myself.

Orang Asli is not like what we expected. We can change them to be like others. BUT changing time must be consistent and taking long time. Their children really want changes. They want to go to school BUT we do not plan for them. Short thinking we are cruel to them and let them living in the forest hunting wildlife which we want to conserve for future generation. Some one have to do it.

Media Visit for Pesta Babulang Lumba Kerbau in Batu Danau in Limbang. (part4).

The program for 8th of June 2013 (Saturday).
.Bisaya traditional cooking contest
.Buffalo race competition
.Exhibition and sale of handicrafts
.Official opening ceremony of Buffalo Race 2013
.Buffalo Race & Kuntul berhias (decorated float)
Myself, Amirul of Sarawak Tourism Board in Miri and Lim of Borneo Touch Ecotour heading to Batu Danau about 40 KM from Limbang Town and less than 10 KM from the border with Brunei.Well,,I would say it was a carnival like atmosphere as buffalo racing is a traditional pastime of the community here and they keep it alive thru Pesta Babulang.The pesta is included in the Tourism Package offering Culture and Buffalo races as part of the attractions among local and tourist from Sabah and Brunei.Do you know that the buffalo 'Jockeys' need to be agile to get on their beast of burden before hurtling down the race track.The unpredictable temperament of the animal would add to the excitement  of the event.The jockeys need not have to wear safety suit like those jockey who ride Horses.."Watch out and do not stand too near as these buffaloes don’t have brakes and proper steering wheel. They can go out of control and barrel at you,” came the warning loud and clear by the event commentator over the public announcement system.".
There was also the colorful parade of ‘Kuntul’ depicting Bisaya history, including the single pole paddy barn.It was fun but the weather that day was 'HOT' ,It was a feast for both cultural and photo-bugs to savour, as almost everyone was snapping pictures and videos of the colourful event to be posted on Facebook, Instagram and other social media while the more serious ones, including photographers from Brunei, came armed with top photographic equipment to capture the magic unfolding at this Buffaloes that provide thrills and spills, fun and hilarity.
Below is a set of photograph that I shoot during the 'Pesta Babulang (Lumba Kerbau)' in Kampong Batu Danau in Limbang.

Photo by Awang

 Are you ready for the show ?

Lawas Town.

 More picture in my next entry.....of Pesta Babulang in Limbang.

Media Visit for Pesta Babulang,Limbang .. Part 1.

So I was happy indeed when Sarawak Tourism Board  invited me as a blogger to be one of the representative of Sarawak Blogger Community for media visit for Pesta Babulang in Limbang from 6th to 9th June,2013.It;s largely to-do with Bisaya Community cultures from Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak.
So I look forward to telling you more and sharing the photograph of the event that I shoot during my trip.First of all I would like to Thanks and Thank You very much to my host Sarawak Tourism Board..
About Sarawak Tourism Board:
VISION - Making Sarawak the naturally preferred tourism destination.
MISSION- Positioning and promoting Sarawak as a safe and friendly Eco-tourism destination.
                   Be the catalyst for tourism growth.
                   Providing networking and synergy among the official gencies and tourism promotion partner.
                   Increasing awareness among Sarawakian on the benefit and importance of tourism industry.
                   Enhancing performance though motivation and teamwork.
My itinerary on the 6th June is flying to Miri by MAS and Miri to Limbang by MASwings.I reached Miri almost 3PM and Limbang almost 4:30PM.In Miri airport I meet Mr Amirul (Paul)the officer from STB Visitors Center Miri and in Limbang airport Amirul introduce me with Mr Lim from Borneo Touch Eco Tour  who arrange our trip to Merarap Hotspring Lodge in Lawas.
Merarap Hot Springs :: Lodge is in Lawas division and Mr Lim drive us all the way from Limbang airport straight to Lawas via the Malaysian border town of Limbang in Sarawak and Temburong District in Brunei.To cross the border we use ferry, the ferry services are operated by two companies on a rotation basis, each ferry has a maximum load of 10 for saloon cars and six to eight for bigger vehicles, and takes approximately five minutes to transport vehicles across the river.The bridge over Pandaruan River is scheduled for completion in August 2013 three months before the 2013 ASEAN Summit which will be hosted by Brunei.With the increase in cross-border traffic for various purposes, the bridge will facilitate connectivity, increase transport and logistics activities and create a spin-off for the both Limbang and Temburong especially in social-economic and tourism activities.
We reached Lawas town almost dark and from Lawas we heading straight for Merarap .
About Merarap Hotspring Lodge:Located on a 5-acres in Ba'kelalan Highlands, Lawas District, Limbang Division, Sarawak..its a good place to seek rest and recreation. Merarap Hot Spring Lodge is a private/family owned business..How to get to the lodge)  because its' quite remote into the jungle, you have to get-into a four wheel drive (4WD) and it takes 1 1/2 - 2 hours journey (approx 68km) from Lawas town. Fares..is rm600 -max 10 person in 1 car (to & fro) - current fares.

You have to get into a 4WD .

Merarap Hot Spring Lodge.

Crossing the border...
More on part2 & will updated soon.
Thank You.

 

Nasi Minyak (which literally translates to ‘oil rice’).

Nasi minyak is a traditional Malay dish and can be found almost everywhere in Malaysia. In fact, it is so popular that different states have different ways of cooking it. Nasi minyak is a must-have at big celebrations and Malay weddings (a common local joke is that to find out when a Malay friend is getting married, just tease them about when they will be “serving you nasi minyak”)

Nasi Minyak (wich literally translates to 'Oil Rice".

 Malaysia boasts many local gastronomic delights that are unique to each culture. One of the most popular local dishes is nasi minyak (which literally translates to ‘oil rice’).In terms of appearance, nasi minyak is easily distinguished by the light yellow shade of its rice (though sometimes other colours are added using drops of food colouring). As can be guessed from its name, nasi minyak is typically cooked with ghee/oil which causes the rice to develop a rather oily texture. Once cooked, it emits a fragrant smell and a slightly buttery taste which provides a delicious contrast when served with spicier gravies such as curry and sambal. Cashew nuts and raisins can only be mixed with the rice to produce a more delicious flavour

  Malay weddings (a common local joke is that to find out when a Malay friend is getting married, just tease them about when they will be “serving you nasi minyak”).

 Nasi minyak is a must-have at big celebrations and Malay weddings.
As a type of traditional food, nasi minyak holds a special place in the hearts of many Malaysians simply for the comfort and familiarity of home that it symbolises. For Malays in particular, it represents unity and harmony during social gatherings. However, the beauty of food lies in its universality and ability to leave an impact not only on one’s taste buds but also their impression of a country. Therefore, as a quintessential Malay culinary experience, nasi minyak should not be missed by anyone regardless of whether you are Malaysian or not.

Good Bye...Semban.

Good bye Semban time to leave...Selamat Jalan Kampong Semban...

Some view of the village

 

I miss this little boy name Aeron..Bye! Aeron.if i ever come back to Semban  I will bring you a colour pencil a drawing book and some sweet..that's my promise.

I miss the awesome view if sunrise

 

 

I will tell the world that you are still exist ,your beautiful culture is still exist....that's my promise.

 

About 4 hours later, we reached our starting point at Kampung Bengoh. A villager told us that there is a tallest waterfall in northern side of Bungo range....and there is no trail to go there, need to hire very experience old folk from the village & hack through the dense rainforest to reach there. And the trip is tougher than the trail to Semban.After listening to this..I'm asking myself."Should I come back here again?"A dam is under construction in the region, to be completed this year. Then the traditional access route will get flooded.. so how am I to come  and visit little child "Aeron" .

Me(uncle),Linda & Deckson.

Awesome  Semban is one of the 4 villages that have been compelled to move due to the construction of Bengoh Dam, the other 3 being Bojorn, Rejoi and Sait. This trek to Semban is the first or the last for 3 of us  once the dam gets flooded with water, maybe this year. Why did I say we are the last outsider to visit Kampong Semban. Read source from the star below....

Tight checks: The security guardhouse at the Bengoh dam site.

TIGHT security has been enforced at the site of the RM310mil Bengoh Dam project in Borneo Highlands over the past month.

No one is allowed to enter except for construction workers and those employed at the site office. Outsiders are barred.

The company responsible for the construction has also barred outsiders from visiting villagers in Kampung Taba Sait, Kampung Pain, Kampung Rejoi/Bojong and Kampung Semban who have been affected by the project and being forced to be resettled in a new area.

A guard manning the security post said he was merely following instructions.

Asked why visitors were not allowed, the guard said: “I don’t know. We are merely following instructions. Only workers are allowed in.”

StarMetro has also learnt that outsiders who want to visit the four affected villages are prohibited from using a route that passes through the dam site.

Visitors, whether locals or foreigners, are allowed only if they are accompanied by the village people.

It is learnt that the instruction came after visits by some media representatives to the villages about a month ago and the publication of reports highlighting the plight of the villagers.

StarMetro was the first to highlight issues concerning their unhappiness over the quantum of compensation paid to them.

The villagers were ordered to vacate their respective homes and move to the resettlement area when the houses and other facilities were completed.

The people, however, are to pay for the cost of the new houses in the resettlement area, which they refused.

Work on the Bengoh Dam commenced in Aug 2007 and is expected to be completed in December this year.

That me..start walk from Kampong Semban about 09:00am and reach Bengoh point at 13:37 PM....(photo by Linda).

Jawlinda is one of the blogger that join the team you can read her trip experience from her blog

MYonlineDiary and anyone interested to visit or plan a trip to Semban Village I suggest you cantact DECKSON of Visitor Information Centre ,Sarawak Tourism Board Kuching at this contact number +6 082 410944, +6 082 256301 .

Thank You....Thanks also to

Sarawak Bloggers Community

Thank You very much to Sarawak Tourism Board for inviting me for the awesome trip.....Good bye and Selamat Jalan Kampong Semban.

Semban Village-Culture & Forest.

It was going to be my first and like all first times, you just don't know what to expect. But after hiking through the secondary forest, rubber and cocoa orchards I can safely say that it was one memorable experience. The walk along the narrow jungle treks and under the canopy of trees and bamboos, the familiar vegetation and smell and the sound of the river and the waterfall . The place in its entirety is beautiful and so are its people. It felt just like home the village call 'Kampong Semban'.I learnt a lot of interesting things about the Semban Villagers , their culture and their traditions!  You may remember that the people of Semban are in the process of being relocated, which will inevitably result in the loss of many of their existing way of life.  Yet we did find out about many of their rather interesting and sometimes curious traditions and this post I would like to share some of the more memorable ones.

The hospitality of the Bidayuhs in Semban is overwhelming. They shared with us the beautiful produce of their land, made sure we saw and experience all the things we wanted to and even had the doors of their home open for us to visit and take picture .  We totally enjoyed our visit to their village. It was also my first encounter with the Bidayuh’s traditional bamboo smoke pipe.Hookah, a traditional water pipe for smoking tobacco. Made from bamboo, the pipe is half filled with water and the smoke passes through the water before being inhaled by the smoker.They plant they own tobacco leaf.

It was by chance that we stumbled upon a Bidayuh lady, seated comfortably slicing tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaves, harvested from the nearby farm was folded carefully and sliced finely for drying.

Jungle trekking to the biggest and highest Tapang Tree in the village.The tapang tree (aka Mengaris, Honey Bee Tree,Tualang) is a majestic emergent tree of the Southeast Asia rainforests best know for the disk shaped honeycombs which hang from its horizontal branches. Towering above the canopy the tapang can reach 250 feet, or the 30 stories in height.

Mr Sagen also explain on plants along the path to Tapang Tree.

and the history of old part of Semban Village....

Next to Ijok palm, there’s of course the Terap tree where the inner barks are also used for cordage. The Bidayuh seems to prefer the Ijok cordage for general rough use. Nevertheless, coils of harvested Terap and its application can be seen around the village.The ijok is a very useful plant to the villagers in Semban  besides providing an excellent alcoholic drink and gula (sugar) Ijok  its fibers for example has been used for generations as cordage to bind things together. It is so strong that  the villager’s use it to hold together bridges, houses and even floorings. It is useful in mat making too.