Overwhelming turnout from Orang Asli community for afternoon tea with PM

“I am very happy”. That was the initial reaction from Sopia Alias, an Orang Asli woman from the Jakun tribe when she received an invitation to attend afternoon tea with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Sopia, 30, said she had been counting the days since receiving the invitation earlier this week and was so eager to meet the Prime Minister that she had arrived in town in the morning even though the function was in the afternoon.

“I came her by bus with my three children...it is better to be early to get good seats at the front. It would not be fun if we were seated at the back as this is a rare opportunity,” she said.

Sopia was among 3,000 Orang Asli at the Afternoon Tea with the Prime Minister and Pekan Parliamentary Constituency Orang Asli community in Kampung Mencupu yesterday.

Also present were Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) directorgeneral Jamalludin Kasbi, Senator Datuk Isa Ab Hamid and Pahang State Felda Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Abu Bakar Harun.

Sopia said she was determined to meet Najib to show her appreciation and to thank him for helping the Orang Asli community with various assistance.

“In fact, I live in a comfortable house in Runchang and my children also study at hostels ...unlike when I was young, there were no schools and no money,” she added.

Meanwhile, Shaidatul Akmar Abdullah, 37, who is also from the Jakun tribe in Runchang said her livelihood had improved when she became a participant of the sheep-rearing agropolitan programme in Pekan.

“Now if we are diligent, there is no reason to be left behind. Similarly with work...if we work every day, I could earn RM1,000 a month. That is very good because in the past our income was irregular,” she said adding that life was more systematic after joining the programme seven years ago.

She would however, need to be more disciplined at work and in financial management apart from being active in other community programmes at her workplace.

“I was lucky to join the programme even though there were doubts about leaving the family in the beginning. Now I am persuading my other family members to seize the opportunity if there were other offers. The government has taken efforts to assist Orang Asli, so it would be a waste if these openings were not taken up,” she said.

Another Orang Asli, Tila Alias, 25, said the function today was among many programmes implemented by the government to assist Orang Asli.

She said she was most happy when Najib announced that 72 Orang Asli had furthered their education overseas as it would not be possible in the past.

“I was not highly educated ...but at least I know my children will have a more comfortable future,” she said. - Bernama