THE Orang Asli in the small town of Pantai, near Seremban, are worried that the mysterious death of Irish teenager Nora Anne Quoirin would take a toll on their livelihoods.

The disappearance of the 15-year-old girl and the subsequent discovery of her body after a 10-day search received worldwide attention and the Orang Asli community is wondering if the bad publicity will turn tourists away.

Most of the Orang Asli work at the nine eco-resorts in the area. Warned by the police and their employers not to talk to the press about the case, they spoke to The Malaysian Insight on condition of anonymity.

A man who works at the resort next to The Dusun on Pantai Hill, where Nora stayed with her family,  said he is unsure if tourists would still visit the town after this.

“Because of the resorts here, we have been able to find work and help our families. For many years we have been working for them, apart from selling fruits from the jungle. We were able to get a side income at the resorts for our families.

“I am not sure if this place is going to be packed again. The news (has spread) worldwide, not just in the country. It may cost us but I am not sure to what extent,” he said.

Nora and her family arrived at The Dusun resort on August 3 for a two-week vacation. She was found missing the following morning.

Her body was discovered 10 days later, on August 13, some 2km from the resort.

Another man, in his 20s, who works as a trekking guide said he might have to get another job.

“Tourists will be afraid to come here. People have got lost in the forest before but they were rescued. It’s different this time,” he said.

“Hopefully things will be okay but if they’re not, I will need to find another job.

The Orang Asli in the area of the Temuan tribe. There are about 100 of them living at the Kampung Air Kolam settlement on the outskirts of Pantai town, population 4,000.

An elderly woman from the tribe said most of her children are employed at the resorts as they were unable to secure jobs in Seremban.

“It is not easy for us to get work in town. Many of the youngsters did not finish school. They preferred to work rather than study.

“Many of them work here at the resorts. They enjoy working here and besides they can make extra money selling fruits and vegetables.

“For now, we cannot be sure (what will happen). We are waiting to see what will happen. Will this place continue to draw in the crowds? Only time will tell,” said the mother of three.

A villager who introduced himself as Vijay, meanwhile, said there has never been a case like Nora’s in the area alhough hikers have often lost their way in the dense forest of Jeram Toi.

“I have stayed here for many years and I do jungle trekking myself. There have been many cases of hikers getting lost in the forest but they were found and rescued.

“This is the first time that someone has been found dead in this area. My in-laws, who are the natives here, have never encountered such an incident. 

“We feel sorry for the family… it is their first time here. It was not supposed to end this way,” said the 53-year-old taxi driver.

Vijay said he believed Nora was lured out of her room but added that it is all still a mystery.

“From what I have read, there is no evidence of her being lured away, but how did she get out of her villa if she wasn’t taken away? There must be someone involved.

“But these are only my thoughts,” he hastened to add.

Vijay said in the past 10 years, The Dusun eco resort has been a popular destination for tourists from all around the world.

“During weekends, the place is full of people. Local and foreign, but mostly foreigners from Japan, Europe, America and other places.

“There has never been a problem before and everyone enjoyed coming here because of the natural surroundings and the view.”

A post-mortem has revealed that Nora Anne died of starvation. Her intestine was ruptured as a result.

Her body was found near a small stream in  which is not accessible by vehicles.

Villager Pak Halim, a retiree, said Nora Anne would still be alive if the search and rescue teams had discovered her tracks earlier. 

He pointed out that the body was found not far from the resort.

“I cannot explain how she got out (of the resort) but the fact that the body was found not far from the resort tells us everything. That she did not venture deep into the rainforest.

“Of course locals here believe something else but if only the rescuers were able to locate her earlier, she would still be alive. 

“We sympathise with the family for having to go through this. I believe everyone has tried their best to help it’s just that they were not lucky this time.”

Nora arrived in Malaysia with her father Sebastian Philipe, her sister Innes, 12, and brother Maurice, eight. They had come from London. Her mother, Meabh, flew in from Singapore.

Her family had insisted that Nora was abducted but police classified the case as missing person as they said there was no evidence she had been snatched.

Police also searched more than 30 houses in the vicinity and ran checks on suspected criminals near the resort.

More than  300 security personnel, including the elite VAT69 commandos and trekkers from the Senoi Praaq unit, searched for Nora Anne.

According to reports, French police have opened criminal investigations into the case. – August 17, 2019.