Tasik Kenyir Raft Project Preserves Culture, Improves Economic Status Of Semaq Beri Orang Asli

KUALA BERANG, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- The Semaq Beri Orang Asli tribe's raft project in Tasik Kenyir here is expected to help preserve the community's culture and improve their economic status when it becomes a new tourist attraction.

The idea for the rafts, completely built by the tribe, was mooted by staff from Taman Negara Terengganu, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and two freelance photographers who were enchanted by the beauty of the 38,000-hectare man-made lake.

Taman Negara Terengganu superintendent  Sharena Sapri said the project, which is now at the pilot stage, stems from their desire to highlight the traditional transportation methods used by the Semaq Beri tribe for hundreds of years, in addition to commercialising the product.

"We are fascinated by the lives of the Orang Asli here, who use rafts as their main transportation mode when collecting forest produce in the surrounding areas.

"So, we feel it needs to be turned into a tourism product that not only helps increase the Orang Asli's income but also preserves the tradition and culture of their mode of transportation,” she told reporters here recently.

Sharena hopes that the project can help curb the exploitation of the Orang Asli community in the area who, it is believed, are sometimes used by outsiders to obtain forest products at low wages. 

On plans to further expand the project through collaboration with the Tasik Kenyir Tourism Association, she said they are also looking at building a mini-cultural village that showcases Orang Asli architecture, the traditional attire worn during the 'sewang’ ceremony, blowpipes and ethnic cuisines.

Confident that the project can attract the interest of tourists, especially from overseas, Sharena said they expect the project to be operational by as early as December or by early next year, at the latest.

She said the rafts are scheduled to be open to the public four times a week, namely from Thursday to Sunday, with the fees set at between RM150 and RM200 per raft.

Detailing the construction cost of a raft, she said it costs about RM2,000 and, at present, only one has been completed thanks to the private donation, adding that they plan to build three more rafts to cater to visitor demand.

Meanwhile, 41-year-old raft builder Ishak Samad said the 12-metre-long raft is made fully from forest materials, including a special type of bamboo called 'ley’, the 'merawan’ wood as well as woven 'nipah’ and 'cucuh’ leaves for the roof, with the construction techniques having been passed down from their ancestors.

He said he decided to contribute to the project because the tourism sector involving the Orang Asli community in Terengganu does not get much public attention.

"By doing this, we can develop the Orang Asli community a little because there is a place for them in the tourism sector. Have to be open-minded a little… because we can't stay sheltered forever.

"So, we hope this project can be a new source of income for the Orang Asli community in this area,” he said, adding that the raft can last up to a year if not too exposed to hot weather.

Ishak, better known as Sohok, said the raft can accommodate 10 to 12 adults and takes about one to two weeks to be completed, depending on the weather conditions and availability of materials.

-- BERNAMA