By Sakini Mohd Said
JERANTUT, March 31 (Bernama) -- After a long wait, a young Orang Asli boy from the Batek tribe finally holds his official identification document, confirming his Malaysian citizenship and bringing a life-changing impact to him and his family.
Living in the remote Kampung Orang Asli Keniam, Kuala Tahan here, which is only accessible by river and air, having an identity card (MyKad) has not only granted 15-year-old Amin Cham the rights of a citizen but also opened doors for a better life, especially in securing a livelihood.
“Our lives were completely different before we had birth certificates and MyKad. My dad got his MyKad quite late. Before that, he sold honey to middlemen but barely made enough because they took a cut, and he couldn't afford to travel to Jerantut town.
“It’s costly to go to town, with boat fares, vehicle rentals, and the middlemen not paying much. He didn’t have a MyKad either, which made him feel a bit worried. But after my dad got his MyKad a few years ago, he started selling honey in town, and the money he made helped him travel there every week,” he told Bernama.
According to the second of six siblings, having a MyKad not only helped improve his father’s income, but it also gave him and his brothers and sisters, who hadn’t been able to attend school before, the chance to receive an education and access free healthcare.
“I also help my father by working as a boat assistant at the Kuala Tahan jetty on weekends. Before we got our MyKad, no one wanted to hire us. Earning even RM50 or RM100 was tough back then.
“It was even harder when we couldn’t sell forest products ourselves and had to rely on middlemen for honey sales. Life is so much better now that we have identification documents because travelling to town costs a lot of money,” he said.
Reaching the village of the Orang Asli community of the Batek tribe is no easy feat, with a two-hour boat ride from the Kuala Tahan jetty along Sungai Tembeling, crossing seven rapids, followed by a walk through the forest.
Located deep within the national park, the village is home to 40 families and about 200 residents. To apply for identification documents, they have to spend over RM1,000 on boat rides, car rentals, and accommodation in Jerantut, the nearest town.
Kampung Orang Asli Keniam Tok Batin (village head) Jusuh Pisang said that the lack of access to essential services has left some residents, including those over 30, without birth certificates or MyKads, making it difficult for them to fully enjoy their rights as Malaysians.
“As Batek people, we’re always on the move in the forest. With our small income, we can’t afford to travel to Jerantut town just to get an identity card. That’s why many of us end up registering our births late,” he said.
Jusuh said the Hutan Belantara Counter, set up under the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat (MEKAR) Programme by the National Registration Department (JPN), had made a huge difference, as they no longer needed to travel to town to apply for identification documents.
Meanwhile, JPN director-general Badrul Hisham Alias said the MEKAR programme had been instrumental in addressing the challenges faced by the community, reinforcing the department’s commitment to ensuring they could access government facilities and obtain valid identification.
He said the programme’s effectiveness was evident, as JPN had received 140,144 applications for identification documents from 2020 to January this year, through MEKAR, which included categories such as MEKAR Ihsan, MEKAR Komuniti, MEKAR Identiti, MEKAR Pahlawan, and MEKAR Diaspora.
Badrul Hisham said that of the total, 2,327 applications came from the Orang Asli community in Pahang, all of which were successfully processed, reflecting a growing awareness among rural communities about the importance of obtaining legal identification documents.
He said MEKAR was an initiative that brought registration services directly to the communities, enabling them to obtain birth certificates and MyKad without the high costs of travelling to the JPN office.
“Kampung Keniam was chosen because around 50 villagers there still don’t have identification documents, due to its remote setting in the National Park forest, Kuala Tahan.
“With no road access to the nearest JPN in Jerantut, many parents here find it hard to register their children’s births on time. Some individuals over the age of 12 still haven’t received their MyKad, even though they have birth certificates,” he said.
Badrul Hisham said according to data from the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA), Pahang had the highest Orang Asli population in Malaysia, with 92,135 out of the country's total of 215,215.
“JAKOA’s 2023 statistics showed that 684 Orang Asli in Pahang didn’t have identification documents, with 228 from Jerantut. However, with the MEKAR programme, the issue has been successfully addressed.
“Besides Jerantut, many Orang Asli live deep in Pahang’s interior, especially in Lipis, Rompin, and Cameron Highlands, where transportation challenges limit their mobility. Despite the challenges, we’re working to assist them,” he said.
--BERNAMA
