Orang Asli artist's new children's book addresses environmental concerns, habitat destruction

When Orang Asli artist Saluji Yeok So Alu completed his first illustrated book, Nenek Dengan Yeok Luat, about two years ago, he was already raring to work on a second one.

Jul 08, 2020

By Rouwen Lin
When Orang Asli artist Saluji Yeok So Alu completed his first illustrated book, Nenek Dengan Yeok Luat, about two years ago, he was already raring to work on a second one.

Nenek Dengan Yeok Luat, brought to life by Saluji’s watercolour paintings, is a book about awareness and the preservation of the Semai tribe’s tradition of sharing knowledge, culture, and history orally.

“There are so many more stories of the forest, I wish to share more of these tales, ” says Saluji.

Now, fans of the 26-year-old Semai tribesman’s work can enjoy more of his watercolour illustrations in Let The Maps Speak! (Biar Pete de Besuara! in Semai language) where readers are offered a glimpse into the place he calls home, a village tucked away in the interior of Perak.

“I grew up in Kampung Ulu Penderas and I have fond memories of painting with my friends and showing them to each other. However, life was very difficult as we lived in the forest and had to walk for many kilometres to get to school, which is located in town. If we had activities in school and had to stay late, we would stay in the school hostel. Even though there were many challenges, I was happy to be able to experience life in both the town and forest, ” says Saluji.

Let The Maps Speak! is published by The Bridge Communication, with funding from the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), and is promoted by social work NGO outfit Malaysian Care.

It is presented in three languages: English, Chinese and Semai.

This is a story of the indigenous Semai people and issues revolving around development and customary land rights. It shows how people who have called the forest home for numerous generations are now caught between a rock and a hard place, with few animals to hunt and little land left.

“Land encroachment, deforestation and other (development) activities have disrupted our way of life. Without the forest, there wouldn’t be us, the indigenous people. It is not only the loss of culture that is at stake here, it is also the loss of ancestral customs and livelihoods ... we get our food from hunting and farming, ” shares Saluji.

All the illustrations in Let The Maps Speak! are based on actual sites, with minor tweaks by Saluji.

“There is a reason why I draw these places that I have been to. I want to tell the future generation about their existence. These places all have their own history and culture, ” he says.

Kampung Ulu Penderas is among the few Orang Asli villages in Perak which, with Malaysian Care’s help, are equipping themselves to map and document their traditional land.

They are monitoring their land to protect it against encroachment by mining, logging and plantation companies, or from being acquired to build dams and highways.

“In this book, I would like to convey to the readers the importance of caring for our environment and to reflect on the customs and culture of the indigenous people, who love the environment. What I feel is important about this story is the message of love and care for the environment because it gives us many good things, ” adds Saluji.

Ooi Kiah Hui, senior director with the Policy, Advocacy and Research department of Malaysian Care, shares that since July 2018, the villagers of Kampung Ulu Penderas have been reporting to the police about encroachment into their customary land.

In February 2019, they set up a blockade to prevent contractors from going in to clear their land.

Malaysian Care proposed the book idea for Let The Maps Speak! last year. It was involved from the onset in conceptualising and designing the book, and working on the text and story with Lai Bwe Yuoong, supervisor and editor of The Bridge Communication. Lai is also author/editor of Let The Maps Speak!.

“We engaged the translator, and the entire production was paid for through our UNDEF project funding. It is one of the UNDEF project outcomes to create awareness and acknowledgement of Orang Asli customary land rights and indigenous language via this book. We hope that it will show the Orang Asli’s close ties to their land and the role they play in protecting it, ” says Ooi.

Proceeds from the sale of the book will support efforts towards creating awareness on Orang Asli rights, specifically customary land rights, indigenous language and preservation of Orang Asli traditional knowledge. Books will be given free to Semai children through community-based education programmes, and customary land protection initiatives.

“The implication of loss of land is more than just losing their livelihoods. Forced relocation means being uprooted – it is an inexpressible pain. Under the constitution, they have the right to live and grow crops on any land. But in recent years there has been a lot of problems due to land titles and land ownership issues, ” says Lai.

Lai shares that the indigenous communities traditionally demarcate their land this way: “From this durian tree to that durian tree, from this river to that river.”

Generations could tell one end of the village to the other, even without fencing or GPS, she adds.

Through his art, Saluji aims to highlight one of the biggest challenges the indigenous people in Malaysia are facing today – the loss of land and livelihoods to encroachment and dispossession.

“Saluji is playing his part to safeguard the forest and its natural resources, protecting the place he calls home. We feel we have a duty at The Bridge Communication to raise awareness about this critical issue.

“That was why this book was published. We must not forget that everybody has a dream. You have a dream, I have a dream, and Saluji, our Orang Asli boy, also has a dream, ” concludes Lai.--The Star

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