TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND THE USES OF NATURAL RESOURCES BY THE RESETTLEMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN MALAYSIA
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Published:
Jun 30, 2020
Keywords:
indigenous people ecological knowledge Semaq Beri Kenyir Lake; Terengganu
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Abstract
Indigenous people are generally descended from original inhabitants of the land in which they inhabit and as such have a historical relationship with their land. Nowadays, most of the Orang Asli have been resettled to a village provided by the government. Nevertheless, they are still carrying out their traditional lifestyle, such as hunting and gathering forest product. Over many generations, they have developed a holistic ancestral traditional knowledge of their lands, natural resources and environment, which plays an important role in their livelihood and well-being. Documentation of traditional knowledge on natural resources by the native people in Malaysia is still far from complete. Thus, the objective of this study is to document the traditional knowledge and natural resources used by the Orang Asli in their livelihoods. This study adopts a qualitative approach through exploratory study whereby the study was carried out at the Orang Asli resettlement villages in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. Data was obtained from the tribal elders who served as informants using in-depth interviews and field observations. The results show that two plant species mainly relied on the Orang Asli for their economic activity, including agarwood and rattan. Besides, there are 34 species of plants and herbs, 31 species of animals and 31 species of fishes that commonly utilised by the Orang Asli in Terengganu, Malaysia. Interestingly, they still using conventional methods and equipment to harvest natural resources needed. Therefore, the government have to raise the importance of traditional knowledge and preserve the natural resources by adapting them into the formal education system for the sake of the new generation of Orang Asli. Besides, the data collected will be useful for researchers, JAKOA and policymakers to improve the lifestyle and well-being of the Orang Asli.
Keywords: indigenous people, ecological knowledge, Semaq Beri, Kenyir Lake, Terengganu
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References
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Kamaruddin, K., & Jusoh, O. (2008). Educational policy and opportunities of Orang Asli: A study on Indigenous people in Malaysia, Journal of Human Resource Adult Learn, 4, 86-97.
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Naef, R. (2011). The volatile and semi-volatile constituents of agarwood, the infected heartwood of Aquuilaria species: A review. Journal of Flavour and Fragrance, 26, 73-87.
Nor, H. M. (1991). Orang Asli and land ordinance: Preliminary study in Tapah, Perak. Akademika, 38(1), 105-120.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2001). The well-being of nations: The role of human and social capital. Paris: OECD Publications.
Rosliza, A. M. & Muhamad, J. J. (2011). Knowledge, attitude and practice on antenatal care among Orang Asli women in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 11(2), 13-21.
Suet Ching, C. C. (2018). Hegemony and agency in staged Mah Meri indigenous music and dance performances for tourist in Malaysia. Jati-Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 23(1), 132-155.
Ter Steege, H., Pitman, N. C., Killeen, T. J., Laurance, W. F., Peres, C. A., Guevara, J. E., ... & De Souza, C. L. (2015). Estimating the global conservation status of more than 15,000 Amazonian tree, Species. Science Advances, 1(10), 1-10. doi:org/10.1126/sciadv.1500936.
Thevakumar, K., Chandren, J. R., Perez-Perez, G. I., Chua, E. G., The, L. K., Salleh, M. Z., ... & Marshall, B. J. (2016). Assessment of risk and Sero-Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori colonization among remote Orang Asli Tribes in Peninsula Malaysia. PloS one, 11(7), 1-15. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0159830
United Nations. (2012). Urban Indigenous peoples and migration: Challenges and opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/6_session_factsheet2.pdf.
World Bank. (2019). Indigenous people. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/indigenouspeoples.
Abdullah, M. F., Rohana, J., & Abdullah, M. T. (2016). The sustainability of Orang Asli community in the mainstream. In Abdullah, M. T., Abdullah, M. F., Bartholomew, C. V., & Jani, R (Eds.), The sustainability of Orang Asli in Terengganu, (pp. 85-115). Terengganu, Malaysia: Universiti Malaysia Terengganu Press.
Anyaoku, E. N., Nwafor-Orizu, O. E., & Eneh, E. A. (2015). Collection and preservation of traditional medical knowledge: Roles for medical libraries in Nigeria. Journal of Library and Information Sciences, 3(1), 33-43.
Campbell, Y. M., Ghazali, K., & Suffian Sahuri, S. S. (2016). Preserving indigenous knowledge through folk narratives: Podi and Ngoyu. Jati-Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 21, 203-219.
Cheng, Y. X., Chong, C. P., Kiew, C. F., & Bahari, M. B. (2014). An assessment of health and social-economic status among Lanoh ethnic sub-group of Orang Asli (Indigenous peoples) in Air Bah I Village, State of Perak, Malaysia. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences, 4(10), 32-37.
Christen, K. (2015). Tribal archives, traditional knowledge, and local contexts: Why the “s” matters. Journal of Western Archives, 6(1), 1-19.
David, G., Roslan, A., Pesiu, E., & Abdullah, M. T. (2019). A brief survey on the birds in Belukar Bukit, Kenyir, Terengganu Malaysia. In Abdullah M. T., Mohammad, A., Zalipah, M. N., Lola, M. S. (Eds.), Greater Kenyir landscapes: Social development and environmental sustainability: from ridge to reef (pp. 143-157). Terengganu, Malaysia: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Department of Orang Asli Affairs. (2008). The basis data of Department of Orang Asli Affairs. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Nasional Printing of Malaysia Berhad.
Department of Orang Asli Affairs. (2011). The stategic planning of Orang Asli Development. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Department of Orang Asli Affairs.
Dransfield, J. (2002). General introduction to rattan: The biological background to exploitation and the history of rattan research. In Dransfield, J., Tesoro, F. O., & Manokaran, N. (Eds.), Rattan: Current research issues and prospects for conservation and sustainable development. (pp. 23-34). Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Endicott, K., & Dentan, R. K. (2004). Into the mainstream or into the backwater? In Christopher R. Duncan (Eds.), Civilizing the margins: Southeast Asian government policies for the development of minorities. (pp. 24-55). United States of America: Cornell University Press.
Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia. (2016). Rattan and bamboo. Retrieved from https://www.forestry.gov.my/index.php/my/buluh-dan-rotan.
Friedlander, A. M., Wagner, D., Gaymer, C. F., Wilhelm, T. A., Lewis, N. A., Brooke, S., Kikiloi, K., & Varmer, O. (2016). Co‐operation between large‐scale MPAs: Successful experiences from the Pacific Ocean. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 26(2), 126-141.
Hussin, H. (2018). Branding Malaysia and re-positioning cultural heritage in tourism development. Jati-Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 74-91.
International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). (2017). The Indigenous world 2017. Retrieved from https://www.iwgia.org/images/documents/indigenous-world/indigenous-world-2017.pdf.
Kalita, B., Choudhury, M., & Ojha, S. N. (2004). Indigenous technical knowledge on pond construction and maintenance, fish seed transportation, and fish health management in Assam hills. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 3(2), 192-197.
Kamaruddin, K., & Jusoh, O. (2008). Educational policy and opportunities of Orang Asli: A study on Indigenous people in Malaysia, Journal of Human Resource Adult Learn, 4, 86-97.
Kardooni, R., Kari, F. B., Yahaya, S. R. B., & Yusup, S. H. (2014). Traditional knowledge of Orang Asli on forests in peninsular Malaysia. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 13(2), 238-291.
Lambin, R., Wahab, N. A., Choo, G. S., Mustapha, R., & Abdullah, R. (2018). A case study of Orang Asli indigenous knowledge in traditional medicine. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(4), 998-1010.
Leake, H. (2007). Bridging the gap: Policies and practices on indigenous people’ natural resources management in Asia. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Unites Nations Development Programme-Regional Indigenous Peoples’ Programme (UNDP-RIPP), AIPP Foundation.
Malaysia. (2010). 10th Malaysian plan 2011-2015. Retrieved from http://www.epu.gov.my/en/tenth-malaysia-plan-9th-mp-
Naef, R. (2011). The volatile and semi-volatile constituents of agarwood, the infected heartwood of Aquuilaria species: A review. Journal of Flavour and Fragrance, 26, 73-87.
Nor, H. M. (1991). Orang Asli and land ordinance: Preliminary study in Tapah, Perak. Akademika, 38(1), 105-120.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2001). The well-being of nations: The role of human and social capital. Paris: OECD Publications.
Rosliza, A. M. & Muhamad, J. J. (2011). Knowledge, attitude and practice on antenatal care among Orang Asli women in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 11(2), 13-21.
Suet Ching, C. C. (2018). Hegemony and agency in staged Mah Meri indigenous music and dance performances for tourist in Malaysia. Jati-Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 23(1), 132-155.
Ter Steege, H., Pitman, N. C., Killeen, T. J., Laurance, W. F., Peres, C. A., Guevara, J. E., ... & De Souza, C. L. (2015). Estimating the global conservation status of more than 15,000 Amazonian tree, Species. Science Advances, 1(10), 1-10. doi:org/10.1126/sciadv.1500936.
Thevakumar, K., Chandren, J. R., Perez-Perez, G. I., Chua, E. G., The, L. K., Salleh, M. Z., ... & Marshall, B. J. (2016). Assessment of risk and Sero-Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori colonization among remote Orang Asli Tribes in Peninsula Malaysia. PloS one, 11(7), 1-15. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0159830
United Nations. (2012). Urban Indigenous peoples and migration: Challenges and opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/6_session_factsheet2.pdf.
World Bank. (2019). Indigenous people. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/indigenouspeoples.