scholarly journals Indigenous resilience and the COVID-19 response: a situation report on the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia

2021 ◽  
pp. 117718012110387
Author(s):  
Rusaslina Idrus ◽  
Zanisah Man ◽  
Anthony Williams-Hunt ◽  
Tijah Yok Chopil
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Orang Asli ◽  
The Government ◽  
Understanding Of Illness

In this situation report, we discuss the response of the Orang Asli, the aboriginal people of Peninsular Malaysia, to COVID-19, focusing specifically on the community’s actions to protect themselves from the coronavirus during the government-imposed lockdown. Drawing from an Indigenous understanding of illness and health, the Orang Asli took the threat of the pandemic seriously and responded with proactive steps to keep their community safe, which included setting up barricades and checkpoints to control movement into their villages, performing health maintenance rituals and prayers and retreating into the forest. We argue that the Orang Asli’s response mitigated the spread of the virus into their villages. Their adaptation and resilience emphasize the need to respect their traditional knowledge and way of life, as well as the importance of strengthening the Orang Asli’s control over their traditional territories and environment.

Political Participation of Aboriginal People (Orang Asli) in Peninsular Malaysia: Examining the Compatibility of the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 with Undrip Standards

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Muhamad Sayuti Hassan ◽  
Rohaida Nordin
Keyword(s):  
Political Participation ◽  
International Law ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Aboriginal Peoples ◽  
Orang Asli ◽  
The Right

The main objective of this article is to critically evaluate the compatibility of the ‘right to political participation’ of the Orang Asli by looking at international law standards. The present study utilises a qualitative socio-legal approach, which analyses the political participation of the Orang Asli under Malaysian law and determines whether the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 (apa) can provide for the protection, well-being, and the advancement of the Orang Asli. Arguably, the existing provisions of the apa are not in conformity with the recognition in undrip and in no way guarantee the Orang Asli’s right to self-determination as recognised by international law. Thus, the current study recommends an amendment to the apa and introduces guidelines to empower political participation of the Orang Asli by incorporating the principles of undrip. The amendment is necessary to ensure that the protection of the right to self-determination of the Orang Asli is compatible with international law standards.

scholarly journals The Struggle of Orang Asli in Education: Quality of Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-51
Author(s):  
Aidil Fitri Sawalludin ◽  
Charmaine Lim Jia Min ◽  
Mohamad Izzuan Mohd Ishar
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Orang Asli ◽  
The Government

This article is a case study on the education of Orang Asli in Malaysia. Indigenous people or “orang asli” are the oldest inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia but they are the minority among the total population in Malaysia.  A study showed that around 50 percent of the students from the Orang Asli community do not further their study in secondary school after finishing their primary school and only 30 percent of students of Orang Asli finish their secondary school, which is less than half of the national average. The statistics of the education progress of Orang Asli are quite worrisome for a lot of parties especially the government and there are a lot of factors that contribute to those, not good-looking results. In order to improve the quality of education, studies on the challenges faced by the Orang Asli are a must. There are a lot of factors causing that specific problem. One of the factors is would be the awareness amongst the Orang Asli community towards education and another factor is would be the Orang Asli accessibility to their nearest education institution. In a nutshell, the Orang Asli are the minority communities that had been marginalized for decades and to achieve the aim to reduce poverty and uplift quality of life them, education is the main key to success.

scholarly journals Impacts of a Colonial Policy Legacy on Indigenous Livelihoods in Peninsular Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roslina Ismail ◽  
Reuben Clements Gopalasamy ◽  
Jumadil Saputra ◽  
Norazlina Puteh
Keyword(s):  
Minority Group ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Orang Asli ◽  
Colonial Legacy ◽  
Colonial Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Poverty Levels ◽  
Method Approach

The indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia, the Orang Asli, remain a largely marginalized and impoverished minority group to this day. One could attribute this to the legacy effects of a policy instituted by the British during its administration in Malaya. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the fundamental needs of the Orang Asli are being met by examining their poverty levels in relation to their subsistence and understanding. The programs and policies currently implemented by the government development authority that has been tasked with reducing the poverty among Orang Asli communities were also reviewed. A mixed-method approach was used by collecting data from 325 respondents composed of both adults and young people from the Orang Asli. Based on our results from the analysis of one sub-ethnic group in the state of Terengganu, this study concluded that the socioeconomic needs of the Orang Asli do not appear to have been addressed sufficiently under the current schemes of the development authority, which continues to pursue a colonial legacy materialization goal. In order to improve the wellbeing of the Orang Asli and other indigenous communities, this research recommends an urgent review of policies implemented by the current government administration, which would greatly reduce the negative impacts of a legacy of colonialism.

Ubuntu as Reflected in the Kgotla System of the Government in Botswana

2021 ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
Josiah S. Tlou
Keyword(s):  
Restorative Justice ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Business Model ◽  
African Philosophy ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Democratic System ◽  
The Government ◽  
Joint Resolution

The chapter illustrates the application of Ubuntu to governance through a democratic system called “Kgotla.” The chapter places and defines Ubuntu as a unique African philosophy and worldview. The author explains how it is utilized in the Kgotla system of Botswana. The chapter describes how the African way of life embodied in Ubuntu at the Kgotla is based on collectiveness or communalism, cooperation, and joint resolution of conflicts and restorative justice among the villagers. The chapter reports that Kgotla system has now been incorporated as a business model in industry using the traditional knowledge of Ubuntu.

Isolasi Sosio-Budaya Masyarakat Orang Asli di Malaysia dan Kesannya Terhadap Pentafsiran Hukum Islam

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Paiz Hassan ◽  
Mohd Anuar Ramli
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous People ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Islamic Law ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Orang Asli ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Local Background ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Closed Door

Majority of the indigenous people who are the original inhabitants in Malaysia inhibit the remote area of tropical forest which is rich in natural resources. Their lives are separated from the outside community due to several factors such as geography, low literacy, negative perceptions of the surrounding community, and the closed-door attitude of the indigenous people. Consistent preaching activities have changed the faith of the indigenous people from animism orientation towards believing in the Oneness of God. The practice of Islam as a way of life in the lives of indigenous peoples is found to be difficult to practice because the fiqh approach presented to them does not celebrate their local condition. In this regard, this study will examine the socio-cultural isolation of indigenous peoples and their impact on the interpretation of Islamic law. To achieve this objective, the researchers have applied the library research method by referring to the literatures related to the discussion of Islamic scholars in various disciplines of fiqh and usūl al-fiqh. The research found that there is rukhsah and taysir approach given to isolated people as well as with local background to facilitate the religious affairs of the indigenous people. Abstrak Majoriti masyarakat Orang Asli yang merupakan penduduk asal di semenanjung Malaysia mendiami kawasan pedalaman di hutan hujan tropika yang kaya dengan khazanah alam. Kehidupan mereka terasing daripada masyarakat luar disebabkan beberapa faktor seperti geografi, kadar literasi yang rendah, pandangan negatif masyarakat sekitar dan sikap tertutup masyarakat Orang Asli. Gerakan dakwah yang dijalankan secara konsisten telah membawa perubahan kepercayaan sebahagian masyarakat Orang Asli daripada berorientasikan animisme kepada mempercayai Tuhan yang Esa. Pengamalan Islam sebagai cara hidup dalam kehidupan masyarakat Orang Asli didapati agak sukar untuk dipraktikkan lantaran pendekatan fiqh yang disampaikan kepada mereka tidak meraikan suasana setempat mereka. Sehubungan itu, kajian ini akan meneliti keadaan isolasi sosio-budaya masyarakat Orang Asli dan kesannya terhadap pentafsiran hukum Islam. Bagi mencapai objektif tersebut, pengkaji menggunakan kajian kepustakaan sepenuhnya dengan menelusuri literatur berkaitan dengan perbincangan sarjana Islam dalam pelbagai disiplin ilmu fiqh dan usul fiqh. Hasil kajian mendapati terdapat rukhsah dan pendekatan taysir diberikan kepada mereka yang hidup terasing serta berlatar belakang budaya setempat bagi memudahkan urusan keagamaan masyarakat Orang Asli.

scholarly journals To stop or not to stop ‘culture’: determining the essential behavior of the government, church and public in fighting against COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalmacito A Cordero
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Contributory Factor ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Health It ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
The World ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Church

Abstract Culture is a way of life. A recent correspondence emphasizes that it is a contributory factor in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, and this must be considered by each government around the world. However, I argue that various elements in culture do not need to stop or else it will create public outrage. I therefore propose a win–win solution for both parties with the inclusion of the church that can serve as a framework for the sake of public health. It is primarily based on a kind of behavior that is needed to be embodied by the involved groups—‘supportive’ government, ‘creative’ church and an ‘adaptive’ public. These essential behaviors of all groups are possible to embody for a successful implementation of public health.

The Development of Economic Thought in Meiji Japan

1968 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuhei Sugiyama
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Bomb ◽  
Economic Thought ◽  
Personal Knowledge ◽  
Road Accidents ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Meiji Japan ◽  
Human Happiness ◽  
Big Cities ◽  
The Government

Some people would no doubt be surprised to learn of a man like Kaiseki Sata who in the early days of Meiji zealously asserted that ‘every expedience is an evil and every inexpedience a benefit’, and that umbrellas, lamps, railways, steamships and other similar innovations could only be harmful. But others whose personal knowledge and experience of such things as the noise and polluted air of big cities, the growing toll of road accidents and the horrors of the atomic bomb have convinced them that too much so-called civilization does not secure human happiness might be more inclined to sympathize with him. In fact, Sata merely represented the feelings of men in the street, by no means small in number, who, accustomed to the traditional way of life under the Shogunate, were either implicitly or explicitly opposed to the new government or at least unable to adapt themselves to the new way of life which made its appearance so suddenly. To Sata anything brought in from abroad seemed harmful, for he feared that innovations might lead to the impoverishment of those who lived by traditional trades and so land the whole nation in misery. He never ceased to write and lecture on this topic, and even went as far as to petition the government to stop the importation, and discourage the use, of any foreign commodity whatsoever. However, because his influence was extremely small compared with that of the notorious motto 'Civilization and Culture', and because his attitude was seen as a mere feudal reaction to what was inevitable, his was after all a voice crying in the wilderness1.

Implementation of Open Space: The Need for Uniform Policy?

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-91
Author(s):  
Melasutra Md Dali ◽  
Safiah Muhammad Yusoff ◽  
Puteri Haryati Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Open Space ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Space Policy ◽  
Local Planning ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Planning Profession ◽  
Federal Department ◽  
The Government ◽  
Uniform Policy

The provision of open spaces within a residential development is often seen as unimportant. The Malaysian Government targeted to provide 2 hectares of open space per 1000 population to be achieved as a developed nation status by the year 2020. This vision can be seen as the Government attempt to ensure the sustainability of open spaces in Malaysia. The Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Peninsular Malaysia (FDTCP) has produced a planning standard guideline to supervise the implementation of the open space policy in Malaysia. According to FDTCP; until December 2009, Malaysia has achieved a percentage of 1.19 hectares of open space per 1000 population. Achieving the standard requires commitment of local authorities to implement the open space policy. However, the adoption of open spaces policy differs among local authorities, from a simplistic general approach of land ratio techniques to an ergonomics method. The paper examines the local allocation practices using 5 different approaches and it argues that implementation of open space by local planning practices requires the knowledge of and understanding by planning profession towards a long term sustainable green objectives.

scholarly journals Sustainability and Livelihood vulnerability of Rural People under the first wave of COVID-19 in India: A comprehensive review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2429-2437
Author(s):  
Arnab Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Rural People ◽  
Rural Livelihood ◽  
The Government ◽  
Life On Earth

Abstract: COVID 19 has totally changed the way of life on Earth. India has been one of the worst affected nations in terms of infection also while harbouring a big chunk of population in the rural areas. It was imperative rural livelihood associated economic sustainability was to be severely affected but the exact extent of the disaster is yet to be known. As things are getting back to life in the new normal, researches regarding the same is under way, but it will be quite a few months or even years before the true picture can be ascertained and according mitigation strategies are adopted. Concrete data is still unavailable, even to some extent in the Government level. This review aims to understand how the pandemic played out on Rural Livelihood with the limited data available on the open platforms like social media and news media. It is tried to collect and comprehensively present the impeccable research work and efforts put in by the grassroot social workers and numerous journalists to collect news and information straight from the battleground, putting their lives to great risk in times of the pandemic. Keywords: Rural Livelihood; Vulnerability; COVID 19; MNREGA; Marginalisation

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