OESF 2019: Oceania Ecosytem Services Forum 4 September 2019, Christchurch, New Zealand

Declining traditional knowledge and practices in the use of natural resources among Indigenous Local Communities of ,

Ho YuekMing, PhD Faculty of Environmental Studies Universiti Putra Malaysia [email protected] OESF 2019 Acknowledgement

Environmental Sociology class of 2019: • Ameera Nazeerah Ahmad Khairi • Chin Kee Tom • Chong Kar Woh • Nurul Nasihah Mohd Najmi • Nurwindah Rahman

OESF 2019 Overview

• Indigenous Local Communities (ILCs) of Malaysia • Ethnographic research • Natural Resources • Traditional knowledge & practices

OESF 2019 Introduction

• Ethnographic study • Examines traditional knowledge and practices in the use of natural resources among ILCs in the state of Selangor in Malaysia.

OESF 2019 Objectives

• Identify existing natural resources that are still available within indigenous communities in Selangor

• Examine practices in the use of natural resources

• Identify traditional knowledge in the use of natural resources

OESF 2019 Case

• Rapid development has encroached into settlement areas of indigenous local communities – especially those located close to the city. • Much of the natural resources such as plants and animals were lost due to land use change.

OESF 2019 OESF 2019 Original People – ‘Orang Asal’

• Aborigine (), • Original people (orang asal) • Three major tribes of Orang Asli in . ● Negrito, , and Proto‐Malay (Thevakumar et al., 2016) ● consists of 19 ethnic groups

Ref: ‘Orang Asli ‐ Minority Rights Group, 2018)

OESF 2019 OESF 2019 OESF 2019 Livelihoods

● Live near or deep in the forest ● May be engaged in hill rice production ● Traditional hunter gatherers activities, ● Shifting agriculture (the Jakun tribe). ● Coastal fishing, eg. and Mah Meri ● Some persist a semi‐nomadic lifestyle (the Negritos)

OESF 2019 Challenges & Threats

Indigenous communities in Malaysia faces various challenges: • land rights • adapting to modern development. (Worlds News, 2019) • Deforestation – many indigenous groups move from their native land to new settlements. • Native land encroachment: – property development – commercial plantations (oil palm, rubber and durian) (Rahim & Puay, 2017)

OESF 2019 OESF 2019 • Any kind of development to the indigenous community should be based on their needs • They should be consulted • Understand what they really need, • Not dictated to them from top down.

‐Bedi (2018)

OESF 2019 Methodology

• Interviews were held with thirty participants • Three settlement villages: – Taman Orang Asli Saujana (Temuan) – Kg. Bukit Bangkong, (Temuan) – Kg. Sg. Bumbum, Pulau Carey (Mah Meri)

OESF 2019 Location

OESF 2019 OESF 2019 Puchong

OESF 2019 Dengkil

OESF 2019 Carey Island

OESF 2019 Qualitative data analysis

• Transcription • Coding • Thematic analysis

OESF 2019 Results & Findings

• Most respondents said that the forest area is declining • Major natural resources disappearing. – semendut, cocoa trees,, kayu nirih batu and some other herbs. – some wild animals – “semua dah takda dah cuma ada mengkuang sahaja” ‐ Carey Island • Today they ‘buy what they need from the market’

OESF 2019 Table 1: List of Natural Resources

OESF 2019 Table 2: Use of resources

OESF 2019 Table 2 (cont.)

OESF 2019 Table 2 (cont.)

OESF 2019 Pouch made from ‘mengkuang’ Woodcrafts

OESF 2019 OESF 2019 OESF 2019 Traditional knowledge & practices

• Traditional knowledge received from previous generations. • Unable to transfer knowledge of natural resources use to their new generation due to lost of resources. • Lack of interest among young generation to inherit this knowledge due to modern lifestyle. • Problem faced in defending their original settlements.

OESF 2019 Conclusion

• Urbanization has changed/reduced traditional knowledge and practices due to declining availability of natural resources. • The older generation expressed preference for traditional lifestyle and environment • The new generation felt that development provides convenience and easy access to food, education and healthcare.

OESF 2019 Conclusion

The traditional knowledge and practices in the use of natural resources among indigenous people have changed

•Relocation to other settlement to make way for development influences their way of living.

•The new generations of ILCs do not practise the tradition due to different culture and way of living. will affect the continuity of indigenous knowledge and culture.

OESF 2019 Further action

• How these vulnerable communities adapt to modern development and their efforts in maintaining traditional cultures warrants further inquiry. • Ecosystem based economies to sustain livelihood of ILCs.

OESF 2019 KYUTECH, WAKAMATSU 9 JULY 2018 35 OESF 2019 THANK YOU

TERIMA KASIH

Kia ora

OESF 2019