A GROUP of Orang Asli youth had the rare chance to take part in the 2018 Asia Pacific Masters Games (APMG), which is hosted by Penang this year.

The 18 young people, aged 17 to 30, were selected to be volunteers in the APMG in an initiative by the Youth and Sports Ministry to expose members of the Orang Asli community to national and international events.

Prior to the games, most of them had never taken part in an international event or done volunteer work.

“I never knew what APMG was before this,” said Izwan Long, of the Jakun tribe in Pahang.

“I also didn’t know what volunteering meant, or what volunteers do.”

The 25-year-old from Kg Jemer in Rompin, who earns a living doing odd jobs in the village, said he was glad for the exposure.

“I wanted a new experience so I was glad I got to be part of it. I also met volunteers from other countries.

“It was an interesting experience. If there are other opportunities to volunteer, I would like to be part of it again,” he said.

All the Orang Asli volunteers – 12 women and six men – were of different tribes – Semai, Jahut, Jakun and Temuan. They came from different villages but most of them were from Pahang.

Suhaila Jamil, a 17-year-old Jahut girl from Jerantut’s Kg Sungai Mai in Pahang, said she had a lot of fun at the APMG.

“It was really exciting. The experience was completely new to me.

“The organisers treated us really well, and taught us many things,” she said.

Ronizul Adam, 33, the coordinator for the Orang Asli group at the games, also played the 2018 APMG mascot, a grey feline named Cun. He said the experience was a first for him.

“Volunteering at the APMG was a new experience to me too. I also got to meet and get to know the organisers and officers from Penang and the federal government,” said the Temuan-Semalai man from Semenyih.

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Steven Sim said the government sponsored the Orang Asli youth to take them out of their villages and let them have a taste of an international sports event, as a way to ensure inclusivity in New Malaysia.

“This administration is all about inclusiveness. We want to include youth from all segments of society, including the marginalised community like the Orang Asli, in our national programmes.

“We should not include them only when the need arises to display some kind of cultural element. These marginalised communities are not passive objects of showcase,” he said.

At the APMG in Penang, Sim said the Orang Asli youth joined other Malaysians as volunteers and were also given some training in the different areas they volunteered in.

“They gained valuable learning experience, new skills and knowledge and made new friends.

“This is the first time we have done this. We want to pursue this initiative further, expand it to include more communities and across more programmes,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

APMG Penang is the first-ever Masters Games to be held in Asia. Athletes from 65 nations participated in 22 sports. The games opened on September 7 and ends today. –  September 15, 2018.