Orang Asli Settlement Project
Inner Wheel Club of Kuala Lumpur
7 February 2023
IWCKL was very proud and happy with the Club’s earlier contributions in July 2021 of 95 units of water flter to Kampung Leleh and the boring of 14 wells thereby, providing water storage. The club also did various other projects including creating learning centres at Pekan New Villages, in Pahang. Due to the recent flooding of some kampungs (villages), there was an urgent need to help the villagers who are orang asli once again. Orang Asli (OA) is a term used for aborigines or indigenous people.
According to John Chin (a friend of Inner Wheel and the coordinator of Kampung Jong Orang Asli settlement project), Kampung Jong was badly flooded. This Kampung is a populated place and is in Pahang, Malaysia. It is approximately 117 miles (or 188 km) east of Kuala Lumpur. All places in Kampung Jong were submerged under water. Communication and roads were out of reach. While John couldn’t reach the OA there, he managed to meet them in the nearby Kampung Serun which is near the main road.
John personally delivered the motorboat engine to the Orang Asli Settlement at Kampung Jong. The engine was tested by using a tube. At last, the motorboat had arrived and been delivered to the villagers of Kampung Jong. It is certainly timely especially when the Monsoon season is already upon the country. The kampung will no longer be completely cut off during the flood season. IWC KL thanks members, friends and donors, for ther worthy contribution to relieve flood problems and uplift the OA’s lives in the settlement.
The weather has turned quite erratic. Normally the wet weather lasts from Nov. to early Jan. but this year it has been extended by a couple of months. The OA cultivate their land from March to October. It’s so heart breaking to learn that the vegetable plots have been destroyed. This has affected the livelihood and food supply in the kampung.
In addition to funding the motorboat, IWC KL contributed food essentials and medical supplies to the 38 families for their emergency needs. Medical supplies were for flu, cough, gastric and skin rashes and pain killers such as Panadol. Many of the OA are suffering from flu. The food essentials for each family consisted of the following:
10 kg. Rice, 500 gm ikan bilis, 2 tins of Sardines, 1 kg of sugar, 2 packets of cooking oil in plastic bags and 1 kg flour. This should tide them over till the flood situation improves.
~ LEE Lan Mee