Brighton Education Visits The Orang Asli

BRIGHTON EDUCATION VISITS THE ORANG ASLI

One early morning in April, Lynnette, Margaret and Randy from the Kulai Cluster set off with Haji Hamzur and the Kulai DLO, Puan Saerah to visit an actual Orang Asli School. We were so excited to be going to meet these indigenous people of Malaysia The Orang Asli community is Malaysia’s indigenous people, the earliest settlers here who are still dependent on land for livelihood. They grow palms and fruit and hunt on this land. The name is a Malay term which translates as original or ‘first people’. After a rather amusing haphazard start – what, with Haji Hamzur losing his way, Margaret losing her keys and Randy nearly losing his knapsack with his computer, we finally set off some two hours late. We turned off the main road after what seemed an eternity of impatient time at a sign that said Sayong Pinang Felda School. A felda. is a settlement area growing, in this case, palms. We drove on a narrow sometimes asphalt road. Silent palms lined our way linking branches over head. An awesome tunnel of green! Patterns of green shade and dappled sunlight sparkled at us on our way deep into the damp plantation. Ah, this was the Malaysia that hinted of things unknown, more like the adventure into what we hoped we would find in Malaysia. Dodging holes and fruit from the palms that lined our way, we fell into a hushed anticipation. After 15 minutes of driving past rows and rows of cool palm trees, we found the village, nestled beneath tall Durian and Rambutan trees, with small wooden houses perched on low stilts and small brick homes neatly hugging the road. Parents and students shyly came out of the little school to greet us – peering at these foreigners who had come their way. Students a small group of fifty or so ranging in age from about 4 to 14 awaited our expertise!!! After 3 three hours of literally pulling out all our edutainment experience we sank back into the car exhausted and exhilarated. The three of us – all from the southern part of Africa declared that this was indeed what we had hoped to encounter when we decided to teach in Malaysia. Thinking back though, to stories of snakes and other beasties that live out there along with the ripe smell of Durian, I, for one was a little more content to see the more modern town of Kulai. We were invited to return for another adventure and test of our creative imagination and we really look forward to going back to the Orang Asli School amidst the palms. Pictures to follow our adventure real soon. Watch this space - Lynn.