Suhakam has lately made a survey of the Orang Asli villages in some parts of Pahang and this is reassuring for the betterment of this community. Most were said to be poor and were far behind us in standard of living. Their children did not go to school or finish their secondary education.

However, if one were to observe this community, they are generally happy people compared to many of us living in towns with all the modern amenities. There are also among the Orang Asli those who have attended school and many have excelled in education. This group has associated well with the mainstream communities while preserving their culture and identity.

In actuality, a thorough understanding of the Orang Asli culture is needed to appreciate the real state of affairs of these people. Any study done on Orang Asli has to be participatory in nature a collegial relationship with the Orang Asli community to truly appreciate their life and needs. It should not degenerate into a process of co-option of the community into creating an external agenda or an exploitive service imposing fresh burdens on the government.

As participant observers, it would best to immerse themselves in the lives of the Orang Asli in order to really gauge how they prefer to live instead of merely observing or attempting to obtain from them normative statements. This could sometimes be inaccurate. Any statement made on behalf of the Orang Asli should be based on the insight that one derives from the community's values, dynamics, internal relationships, structures and conflicts best seen from their observed actions. We should not have our views slanted just by assessing them with our own 'insight'.

In fact, a lot more can be done to change the lifestyle of this community. We would like to see them exposed to good education, a healthy life, and proper infrastructure for their settlements. This community has always been receptive to ideas put forward by their own people who are educated and have evolved into the mainstream of our society.

This group, with government support, should do more to help their community. The Orang Asli should be helped irrespective of their religious convictions.

The realities are, the Orang Asli generally prefer to stay near forests and do not want to be relocated. In some cases, even when brick houses are provided for them, many would build thatched huts just behind those houses to live in. Recruiting their children to stay in school hostels would only see many of them returning to their community.

To change the mindset of this people may take a long time. It is the awareness for a better life that has to be put into the picture. Just by consigning them some allowances in the form of ringgit and sen will make them none the wiser.

Government agencies and volunteers should find ways to help inculcate in them the importance of education. It is only through exposure to education would these people be enlightened.