Cameron Highlands Landslide

Cameron Highlands landslide: Seven dead
Published: Monday August 8, 2011 MYT 8:08:00 AM
Updated: Monday August 8, 2011 MYT 1:44:12 PM

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Seven people, including a family of three, died in Sunday's landslide at Kampung Sungai Ruil, near Brinchang in Cameron Highlands, with two others surviving the incident.

A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the last victim was found at 1.21am Monday.

The two injured are being treated at the Ipoh General Hospital.

Following the recovery of all victims, search and rescue operations in the area haved been called off.

Aftermath of the landslide that hit the
Sungai Ruil Orang Asli settlement in Cameron Highlands
on Sunday. - Bernama - 8 August, 2011

The incident caused three houses in the village to be buried while another three were partially submerged.

Villagers gathered at the Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom Hospital mortuary Monday morning to claim the victims' remains.

Cameron Highlands MP Datuk S.K. Devamany, who was at the scene, said this was the first time an incident of such magnitude had hit the village.

Celebration of culture in Cameron Highlands

Celebration of culture in Cameron Highlands
By Nik Naizi Husin
Saturday March 26, 2011

THE orang asli women in Kampung Sungai Ruil in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, are a creative lot.

They became the centre of attention during a competition on forest-based decorative products during an event organised by the Information, Commu­ni­cation and Culture Ministry here recently.

The competition was organised by the ministry to popularise the community’s arts and culture among the public.

Ankle strength: The action at the sepak raga competition

While the women took time off to prepare their ornate decorations, the men and children took part in a variety of activities that reflected their daily lives.

They showed off their axemanship skills in chopping wood using the beliung a traditional hatchet, played sepak raga, target shooting with blowpipe as well as singing.

In closing the event, Deputy Minister Senator Datuk Maglin Dennis D’ Cruz said the programme was a long term project by the ministry in its bid to boost creativity and the tourism industry.

Orang Asli free to practice any religion

Well, I certainly hope so. Because sources from the ground for the past many years says otherwise. Sometimes there were road blockades and stand-offs. This kind of things never get reported in mainstream news. We just keep it to ourselves, hush-hush and pray that something will be done.

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Freedom to practise any faith
Friday May 7, 2010

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The orang asli in Pahang are free to choose the religion they wish to profess without fear and pressure.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said statistics showed there were 13,741 households among the orang asli communities in the state and 1,000 of them were Muslims.

He said 800 of them were Christians, 300 Bahais, 90 Buddhists, 10 Hindus and the rest professed other faiths.

"The Government has allocated RM5.374mil for the Orang Asli Civilisation Development (Petama) programme.

"The youths among the orang asli are the main focus as they are the catalyst in their community’s social and economic development," Adnan said in his speech to close the Petama 2010 four-day homestay programme held in several orang asli villages in Cameron Highlands district here recently.

His speech was read out by Cameron Highlands District officer Datuk Mohd Noor Abdul Rani.

Adnan said Petama aimed to help the orang asli give priority to their children’s education for a better future. -- The Star

Kuala Kubu Baru Hiking

The Kutu challenge
Stories by Joleen LunJew
Saturday June 6, 2009

A day’s hike up Bukit Kutu in Kuala Kubu Baru will leave you exhausted, but happy.

A mountain a day to keep the doctor away? It’s just something I made up but having been sitting on my laurels for the past few months, I was beginning to feel a bit sluggish.

I jumped at the chance of heading to Bukit Kutu, Kuala Kubu Baru, when a friend posted the suggestion on Facebook. It’s so difficult to find like-minded people to climb with and I wasn’t too keen on joining big, organised groups.

Community needs more orang asli teachers

Community needs more orang asli teachers
Wednesday May 13, 2009

Cameron Highlands: The high qualification requirement to join teaching colleges could be discouraging the orang asli from joining the profession, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Fuad Zarkashi said.

He also added that orang asli graduates from teachers' training colleges preferred teaching elsewhere but remote areas. He said there was a tendency for orang asli teachers to ask for a transfer to urban schools after serving for a couple of months at schools with majority of orang asli students.

As such, the government plans to set a condition for orang asli teacher trainees to sign a contract to serve at an orang asli majority school upon their graduation.

Mohd Fuad said upon completion of their contract, the teachers were free to ask to be transferred out.

Orang Asli in Malaysia

In danger of dying out
Stories by Martin Vengadesan
Sunday April 26, 2009

With various orang asli tribes dwindling in numbers, the need to document their cultures becomes even more pressing.

UNTIL very recently, I was unaware of the rich diversity among the cultures of the orang asli tribes that inhabit Peninsula Malaysia. All that changed when I followed a team from Muzium Negara charged with documenting the traditions of the Semai, an orang asli tribe found largely in north-western Pahang.

I stayed for a couple of days at Kampung Kabang. a Semai village on the outskirts of the Kuala Lipis district. During that time I was able to observe some of the unique traditions of the Semai, including communal dancing and the playing of instruments such as the nose flute. However, due to the demise of a neighbouring village elder, many of the festivities planned specially for our visit were scrapped. Nonetheless, I was determined to find out more about the orang asli. After speaking to a number of experts, I realise their situation is critical.

Taiwanese Voluntary Work in Cameron Highlands

Taiwanese come to Malaysia to do voluntary work
Saturday September 6, 2008

IT WAS a meaninful trip for 12 Taiwanese students and their teachers, who came to Malaysia to take part in some community services.

The students, who were members of the International Community Service Team from the Chinese Culture University in Taipei, were in the country for 12 days recently meeting local social workers and lending their service.

Social worker Wendy Yap introduced them to several orphanages and old folks homes in Kajang before bringing them to Cameron Highlands, where they mingled with the orang asli and delivered food items.

Road to Cameron Highlands to benefit orang asli

RM80m road to Cameron Highlands to benefit orang asli
By Nik Naizi Husin
Thursday January 31, 2008

LIPIS: The orang asli community in Pos Betau will benefit from a 88km road from Sungai Koyan to Cameron Highlands scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

Jelai assemblyman Datuk Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the road, costing RM80mil, could now be used by motorists from Sungai Koyan to Kampung Susu, a stretch of about 70km. Another 18km from Kampung Susu to Ringlet in Cameron Highlands was still under construction.

Welcome gift: Wan Rosdi (third from left) and Devamany distributing packs of rice to the orang asli at Pos Betau in Lipis recently

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Wan Rosdy said, with the completion of the road, travel time to Cameron Highlands from Kuala Lipis would be reduced by five hours.

“Currently, people go to Cameron Highlands via Gua Musang (in Kelantan), Batang Berjuntai (in Selangor) and the North-South Expressway, and the journey takes long hours,” he said when met after presenting annual bonuses to 46 village headmen from 18 orang asli villages in Pos Betau here recently.

Also present was Cameron Highlands MP S.K. Devamany.

He said the orang asli would benefit much in terms of marketing their fruits and crafts.

“The road will be another alternative for people to go to Ipoh and northen parts of the country,” Wan Rosdy added.

“I see some tourism attractions like waterfalls, rivers and the natural environment which could be upgraded and promoted with the new road,” he said. -- Star Metro

Orang Asli receive medical checks

Free medical checks and advice
Monday March 26, 2007

SOME 350 orang asli of the Batu 10 Jalan Cameron Highlands settlement received free medical checks and advice during a recent health camp.

The health camp was jointly organised by the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of Ipoh Hospital, Tapah MCA branch, Lions Club of Tapah Central and the Obstetrical and Gynaecology (O&G) Society of Malaysia.

A total of 17 doctors and 29 medical assistants from the Ipoh Hospital rendered their services at the camp.

Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk S.Veerasingam launched the camp. Also present was Perak MCA Youth secretary Ho You Meng.

Veerasingam said the government was doing its best to help fulfil the social needs of the orang asli community. -- The Star.

45% orang asli pupils drop out after Year Six

45% orang asli pupils drop out after Year Six
Thursday January 26, 2006
By Roslina Mohamad

KUANTAN: Almost 45% of orang asli pupils who studied at primary schools in Pahang failed to continue at secondary level.

State Health, Social Welfare and Orang Asli Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Ishak Muhammad said the figure was alarming and measures should be taken to reduce the number.

He said that records showed the number of orang asli studying in Year Six from 2000 until 2004 was 5,168.

“However, only 2,864 or 55.5% of them continued their studies in Form One.

“Another 2,304 pupils or 44.5% dropped out of school,” he said, adding that the situation was largely due to the attitude and way of life of the community.

Ishak said that boredom and laziness had been identified as the two main causes of the high dropout rate by a local research group.

He said the other reasons cited in their study were that they were not interested to learn, fed up of getting scolded by teachers and preferred to help their parents at work.

Ishak said that concerted efforts were needed from all parties to educate and create awareness on the importance of education among indigenous people.

Among the programmes earmarked were motivational courses for heads of families and women folk, tuition, educational aid, transportation and accommodation for those in remote areas, and scholarships, he added.

Ishak said the Education Ministry had built hostels for orang asli students in SK Betau, SK Kuala Koyan and SK Permatang Keledang in Kuala Lipis, SM Tengku Kudin and SM Koyan in Raub, and SM Sultan Ahmad Shah in Cameron Highlands.

“A total of 156 orang asli received federal scholarships last year, while in 2004, 151 of them enjoyed similar benefits,” he said.

Currently, there are 11,852 orang asli families in Pahang of which 5,936 are listed as hardcore poor and 3,347 as poor. -- The Star.