An exhausting trip
Nope. I did not have weed and had a bad trip. It’s a field trip.
Yesterday, I went to the Che Wong Orang Asli village in the Kelau area (Pahang) with Colin. I was there to assist him to get some interviews on video so that the voices of the indigenous people there will be heard by the Japanese officials of JBIC. JBIC is funding the Malaysian government to build a dam in Kelau to supply water to Selangor. In this proposal, the goverment wants to move the Che Wong people to a new resettlement. I will also use some of the footages for Asia247.tv too. 
However, the Che Wong area is located up in the hills. There will be no way that their land will be inundated by the dam reservoir. The NGOs are arguing that the resettlement exercise is a waste of money and it will also destroy the Indigenous People’s livelihood and culture. With proper water conservation measures and policies, there is no need to build the dam.
However, the government insisted that the Che Wong people should move and claimed that they have agreed to move. We heard a different story when we were there. Unfortunately, the government has been feeding the wrong info to the Japanese.
It was a great trip… but it was an exhausting trip too. Our car was stuck in the mud track twice. Took some time to get on our way again. Thanks to the kind Orang Asli and plantation workers. We could have stuck there forever without them. At the end, we decided to walk to the village as the track was too muddy. There I was, with a backpack, a DV cam, a DSLR (thanks Queen) and a tripod strapped around my body, walked and climbed the steep hills up to the village. My forearms and face were burned and was seriously dehydrated. But I was glad that I was still alive to shoot some photos and video.
I was totally K.O.ed last night. This morning I woke up with pain in my arms, shoulders, upper back, knees and thighs. I dragged myself to the living room. My mind said: “must… must… go to work…”. Then I fell on the couch… I remained half conscious for another 3 hours…
Haha.. you’re getting old… nice photo!
Woi Dino… I every year 25 one.
the pictures you took are good. somehow captured stark realities.
the place actually looks like mindanao!*i actually spent some parts of my life living in a place like this. tending the farm, etc.*
come! come! sam, come for a field trip here. take pictures too.
but first, do some cardio exercises first to increase your resistance. hehehe. kidding.
as for the dam thing, does your country have a law on ancestral homes or domains? here, an indigenous group can claim a stake to their land by invoking the ancestral land agreement… just wondering
bravo sam-san, next time got orang asli field trip pls inform me !!! wait for ur podcast
Wah - the DSLR got soft focus one meh?
Very nice photos!
Chen-jie, I am not the organiser for this trip. If I am organising it, I sure will ask people to go one.
Queen, DSLR + Picassa = better results. Remember this formula.
Claire, Bolehland does not have any law on ancestral claims for homes nor lands. We do have an Indigenous People’s act. But from what I see it, the act is more like those acts enacted to protect the endangered species. Get what I mean? It is not about empowering the people.
OK. Thought it was another one of my ‘PBCB’ (C being camera, B being background)
omg. i wld’ve loved to have been there. hmm, need to ring colin sometime soon-ish
got to join Fitness First before the next trip…
are you saying i’m unfit?
sadly that is a truth. hahaha. but i want to visit the temuan community in dengkil
i am extremely unfit…
u need more excersice..
thank you for the reminder
sam, if you don’t mind, I would like to use some of your articles as teaching materials. wonder if it is ok with you.
thanks and happy new year
Teaching materials? Wah… can ar? May I know what are you teaching Ymoon?
ya… i should ring dr colin soon … happy new year
带领班级导读有趣的时事文章.and i found some of your articles quite suitable for this type of reading, only if you don’t mind…^^
those who plan to ring dr colin:
please take up a plan at fitness first, and learn to jump start cars if possible.
at the same time, also be prepared to carry cameras, equipment, and walk a lot.
if all you want is a nice trip to neverland for some photo taking of kids and “poor” people, do think twice.
… and DO NOT wear sleepers.
… and slippers.
also… if you have taken the pictures and decided to blog about it, at least thank Dr Colin for letting you tag along.
*you know who you are*
Happy New Year!
You forgot - muscles to push non-4WDs.
jerry, i worked with dr colin b4 in a few projects and know his working style. just tht my ex-company unable to bid any of the orang asli project in past 2 years, so less contact with dr colin now. should ring him to wish him happy new year
Ymoon, glad if I can help! There is no copyright, just don’t copy wrong.
and please credit.
Yes! Fitness is very important in this kind of trip… Queen is right… weight training does come in handy.
sam, you better start an exercise regimen. my suggesstion? one cardio workout mixed with a few yoga asanas and pilates poses to strengthen knees and legs and of course abdomen for reistance.
hahaha. that’s for 2007. ugh i sound like a fitness expert.
as for the indigenous people’s act, yes, at least there’s one to protect IPs from being displaced. but empowerment is not a matter of acts and laws. i think it is a matter of policies. im sure not sure if you understand what i mean. but i do understand what you meant about empowerment. most of the time, the IPs are the afterthought in terms of government programs. it’s something very common around the world.
here i go again. i just feel a bit sad hearing stories about projects disguised as investments like dams or mines that are in fact, dislocating a lot communities and disempowering people. i feel strongly for these things. very like mindanao.
anyway, happy new year.
Pilates poses? Without all those machines?
Show show!
hahaha. yeah. WITHOUT all those machines, you can actually do pilates. you just have to have an elastic band and blocks. thats’ all. and of course a mat.
hmm… might as well blog about that. i’ll show you when i finally get to have my own exercise video. wish wish. but seriously, will blog about it.
Yeah! Jane Fonda of Davao. Can’t wait to see the video!