The Malaysian Insight

THE Orang Asli in Kg Sg Berua, Hulu Terengganu, are finding the current full lockdown harder to survive than the first in March last year. 

There is less aid from donors this time around, and certain standard operating procedure (SOP), designed more with people living in urban areas in mind, are unfeasible for the Semaq Beri tribe here who live close to forests and depend on them for food and livelihoods.

Orang Asli who gather food, medicines and other forest produce to sell, cannot “work from home”. And trips to buy supplies in the nearest town an hour away is a difficult job as most of them do not have vehicles.

A Semaq Beri tribesman who only wanted to be known as Razak, 56, said they still went into the forest despite the movement-control order (MCO), as it is their only source of income. 

“We depend on the sale of forest products. We don’t know if we are really allowed to go (to the forest) or not, but we just go anyway, or we won’t earn any money at all,” Razak told The Malaysian Insight on a visit to the village at the start of the total lockdown.

He said things were not as difficult during the MCO in March last year. 

“Everything feels more difficult this time. In the past there was more help and donations.” 

Razak said the villagers did not want to rely on donations alone. 

“We won’t wait around for food aid, as it will run out eventually. We need to work as well,” he said.

Even though they go out to gather forest products, finding customers is another problem. 

Tok Batin Rosli Desoh, 47, said incomes have been affected as the usual middlemen to whom the Orang Asli sell their forest products have stopped coming for new stock since the total lockdown began on June 1.

It is difficult to reach the village now because of a police roadblock on the main access road. The village has around 600 residents who were resettled here for the construction of the Kenyir Lake Dam more than 30 years ago. 

Rosli said the villagers leave the village for the forest by using back roads, avoiding the main road. 

“We have to walk quite far into the jungle and in all, spend about three hours there.  

“The problem is that even though we can gather forest products, there is hardly anyone to buy these days,” Rosli said. 

Without the MCO, villagers can earn between RM50 and RM60 by selling foreign products, said another villager, Ibrahim Awang, 75. 

“Now we can’t even get RM10. We used to make RM50 or RM60 a day, about two or three times a week, from buyers who come to our village. It was sufficient to buy basic supplies,” he said. 

The elderly man also felt police should consider the villagers’ situation when it comes to leaving their settlement to buy essentials. 

The nearest town with shops is Kuala Berang, an hour’s drive away. 

“Police enforcement is too strict. Only one person is allowed to go out but only one or two of us in the village have a car.” 

Two people are allowed in a car under the SOP, but it is still a hefty job to buy supplies for 600 people. 

With the total lockdown phase of MCO 3.0 extended by four weeks until June 28, instead of the initial two weeks, the villagers are bracing for difficulties they aren’t able to imagine. 

“I just hope police can be more lenient when we want to leave the kampung to get supplies,” said Ibrahim. – June 15, 2021.