| Universiti Putra Malaysia

Netwon Workshop, an effort to improve the quality of life of the Belum Orang Asli

By Zed Diyana Zulkafli

GRIK (BELUM) – Water Engineering Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) organised a workshop to identify the problems of Orang Asli in Kampung Sungai Kejar and Kampung Sungai Tiang, Belum Forest, Perak.

The workshop is looking for new innovative approaches to increase the quality of life of the Belum indigenous people.

Two-way discussions with officials from various departments of ministries, NGOs and industries were also held to identify efforts undertaken to help the Orang Asli community there. 

Among the issues discussed is on how the implementation of university research can be mitigated with efforts to improve the resilience of the off grid communities in Malaysia in the face of environmental and mainstream socioeconomic changes such as agricultural research, water, sanitation, nutrition and health of the Orang Asli community.

The Innovative Designs of Sustainable Agro-Hydro-Health Systems for Off Grid Communities Workshop was held in UPM and Belum Royal Forest, Perak from 31 to 4 August.

The workshop was conducted in collaboration with the Center for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University under the Netwon Fund Researcher Links Workshop scheme, mutual funding of British Council and the Malaysian Science Academy.

The workshop that was attended by 28 young researchers from the United Kingdom (12 people) and Malaysia (16 people) mentored by four experts in the field will start several initiative projects for the Belum indigenous people.

Workshop participant, Senior Lecturer of the Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering UPM, Dr. Balqis Mohamed Rehan said the involvement in the programme made her more sensitive in drafting a research project that would help the Orang Asli community.

The Senior Lecturer of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering UPM, Dr. Muhammad Razif Mahadi said the workshop would enable young researchers to share ideas with experts from various disciplines to pioneer joint research between UK and Malaysian institutions.

Participants will start several initiative projects in the near future with the long-term goal of continuing the involvement of the Orang Asli community particularly in the Belum Forest and in Malaysia – UPM

 

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