Aborigines

Hey! I was part of the team to build it!
Hey! I know this person! I talked to him before!

Those are some of the advantages of joining tons of activities, especially those organized by NGOs when they are broadcasted.
Then you'll be able to share your experience on the building process, the friends you met, the condition of the community (eg Orang Asal), the mosquitoes, etc etc...


Here's my personal experience and what I learned from the aborigines:

I've participated in getting electricity for the Orang Asal community in Tanjung Rambai, Hulu Langat. Joining them, I've learned the hardship people need to overcome in order to get the luxury that we are having. If not mistaken, in order for them to have electricity lines to be pulled into their village, at least RM1.5k or RM5k (forgotten the value) is needed. That's excluding the charges per km and the electricity rate. Not just as a general knowledge, I'm able to apply it in my academic studies and perhaps my working life too. Electricity from the grid will be too expensive, solar needs high cost and maintainance, diesel needs RM2 or higher per night... why not take advantage on the hilly place and utilize the pressure of the water? That's why micro-hydroelectric generator was build in Tanjung Rambai.

Not just that. How's the condition of the Orang Asal? What they do for a living? Where they live in? How many of them in a village? How's their social life? Farmers, collectors of resources in the woods, working in the city... The banana leaves that you saw in nasi lemak wrapping which gives a very nice fragrance? They are sold to a middle man in a stack of 100 at 50 cents..

Oh! Those beautiful traditional costumes that you saw in your textbooks or in the tv or in the cultural village.. Are they wearing them all year long? No! They are just like us. Wearing a t-shirt, jeans or whatever we are wearing. In fact, the only time you see them wearing the colourful traditional clothings might be once a year, in conjuction with their celebrations, for tourism only. They are just like us.

The government had funded some of them to build houses. Yeah!!! What houses? BRICK houses like the ones in Ulu Yam? Hot, no lifestocks to rare below the house, electricity provided and the ability to foot the bill is totally another story. The brick houses ended up being abandoned and wooden houses are build on top of the hills..

Education to the aborigines community. We can't deny that some of them are left behind in science and tech of this rat race. Some of them don't even want you to teach them. They are contented with what they have. In fact, their own way of living are much more sustainable than we are. They are able to sustain themselves since long before the 'smart alex' interfere them. We have western medication, they have traditional herbs which might be much more effective! Sometimes, we need to respect their way.




Respect. Please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb4iYcyMzBE&feature=youtube_gdata_player