Groves of durian fruit trees (Durio spp.) a highly esteemed fruit throughout Southeast Asia remained at the sites of former Malay villages along the Lebir River in the 1970s. (The government resettled the villagers on the lower Lebir in the late 1940s to remove them from the influence of Communist terrorists.) Here a Batek man climbs a durian tree to cut down the unripe fruit, which can be eaten like a vegetable. He does not use any climbing aids, but simply grasps the trunk with his arms and feet and climbs up.
If a young Orang Asli man or woman has a basic education in reading and writing he/she could be given medical training at Gombak. If successful, he/she would then work in a deep jungle medical post as well as at the hospital. Some Field Staff were able to progress to positions of responsibility.
Here is dry rice growing in a hillside swidden. Weeds are already starting to encroach on the lower edge of the field. In this instance, wild pigs, monkeys, and birds ate most of the rice before it could be harvested, always a risk when farming in a forested area.
If a young Orang Asli man or woman has a basic education in reading and writing he/she could be given medical training at Gombak. If successful, he/she would then work in a deep jungle medical post as well as at the hospital. Some Field Staff were able to progress to positions of responsibility.
Angan binte Botek at Subang Airport, Kuala Lumpur, October, 1966. Also in the photo: Wem bin Mat (left), members of the Gombak Hospital staff, and Marilyn Haasnoot Sjafiroeddin.
Angan binte Botek being carried by Marilyn Haasnoot Sjafiroeddin and using her primary means of communication: pointing. She had very few verbal skills. Dr. Ed Ragan in striped shirt, on right.
People occasionally buy or trade for circular casting-nets with lead chain weights around the perimeter. Here a man throws a casting-net into some shallow water, hoping to trap some fish under it.
