THE Jakun Orang Asli who settled in Muadzam Shah, Pahang worked as rubber tappers or collected wood to generate income, while the children also worked at a nearby watermelon farm.
However, jobs have been difficult to come by for the tribesmen after the movement-control order (MCO) was put in place on March 18, and some villagers had started planting their own vegetables for food security.
Fatimah was one of those affected as she used to collect bertam wood to make furniture for sale, but demand dried up due to cross-border travel restrictions.
Meanwhile in Kg Jerampak, 10km away from Muadzam Shah, Nordin planted a small vegetable garden for food.
The garden grew big enough for him to let fellow villagers take food for free, while the remainder were sold to plantation workers staying near his home.
Apart from the Bantuan Prihatin by the government, the villagers receive relief from the Department of Orang Asli Development and the Global Peace Foundation.
The villagers are not just afraid of the virus, but are also wondering about their future as the recovery of their health and economic prospects will take a long time. – August 21, 2020.
Nordin inspecting his garden at Kg Jerampak in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.Suriyanti (right) teaching children from the Jakun tribe inside a small hut at Kg Terubing in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.A boy from the Jakun tribe climbing a tree at Kg Teraling in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.A woman from the Jakun tribe carries her son as she walks besides traditional wooden house at Kampung Terubing in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. - The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.Latex is a main source of income for the Jakun tribe at Kg Teraling in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.Jamidah taking water from a muddy river at Kg Bukit Biru in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.Fatimah watering her garden at Kg Teraling in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.A woman from the Jakun tribe preparing dishes using a wood kitchen inside her house at Kg Terubing in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.Nenek Alloy playing with his kitten at his home at Kg Terubing in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.Alam Flora workers from the Jakun tribe cleaning a drain at the town of Muadzam Shah in Pahang. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, August 21, 2020.
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