Empowering Orang Asli Women in Tourism Industry:

A Case Study in Lenggong Valley, Perak, Malaysia

Fatan Hamamah Yahaya

Anthropology & Sociology Section, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia

Keywords: Empowerment, Orang Asli Women, Tourism Industry.

Abstract: Women, particularly those of the Orang Asli community, without a doubt play an important role in the

family. These duties and roles include organising household affairs, giving birth and raising children,

tending to the house, preparing meals for the family and sorting out their children’s school affairs. However,

their roles are not limited to duties or daily routines that are done only at home. In fact, women (especially

Orang Asli women), are capable of far more activities that can empower them, especially in the Lenggong’s

tourism industry. The empowerment of Orang Asli women can be seen from the aspect of skills that they

already have which can be turned into tourism products, as well as to increase their source of income in

supplementing their family expenses. Among the skills that can be highlighted are making handicrafts,

being tourist guides, promoting traditional cuisine and dances as well as finding and brewing wild plant

roots for medicinal purposes. The women of the Orang Asli who originally only served as housewives, can

now change their family’s way of life by doing all sorts of activities which can generate new sources of

income, by venturing into activities that can be used as attractions and new tourism product markets,

especially in Lenggong.

1 INTRODUCTION

The Orang Asli are known as a society that depends

on the forest and the surrounding rural environment

by carrying out economic subsistence activities such

as nomadic farming, hunting and gathering forest

produce, as well as fishing (Ramle Abdullah, 2001).

Usually, Orang Asli women are full time

housewives and the daily activities that are done by

them are more focused on managing household

affairs. Apart from that, they also engage in farming

activities such as planting hill paddies (Oryza),

planting vegetables and herbs, cassava (manihot

utilissima), sweet potatoes (ipomea batatas) as well

as other food crops planted for the family. However,

apart from that, it cannot be denied that they possess

their own unique skills that can be highlighted as

tourist attractions in the tourism industry. Orang Asli

women can also contributed to the tourism sector in

Lenggong if they are prepared and intelligently

utilise their apparent skills as well as seek out these

opportunities for increasing their standard of life.

Although the role of women is seen as being limited

to the domestic sphere, they conversely have many

sorts of skills that are done within everyday life.

However, Orang Asli women remain unaware that

these skills can help them in their efforts to empower

themselves, by themselves. If before only the men

were seen as having a role in acquiring a source of

income, now Orang Asli women too can do the

same.

According to (Novel et al., 2012), the very

concept of empowerment is to bring forth the

potential of man by increasing the awareness of rural

communities about self-awareness itself, and

consequently enabling them to see their own

existence in a social context. Empowerment also

involves the result of rural communities in

capability-building efforts for either individual or

group development. In this matter, the

empowerment of Orang Asli women is not just

possible through cultural heritage itself, but also the

skills that are already available, which can be made

into important assets in tourism products in

Lenggong. It also comprises a process where Orang

Asli women are able to use their skills, abilities and

capabilities in order to prove that they too can strive

for self-determination and with their own efforts.

348

Yahya, F.

Empowering Orang Asli Women in Tourism Industry: A Case Study in Lenggong Valley, Perak, Malaysia.

DOI: 10.5220/0008885003480353

In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR 2018) - , pages 348-353

ISBN: 978-989-758-437-4

2 TOURISM PRODUCTS BASED

ON ANCESTRAL SKILLS

Orang Asli women are full time housewives who

perform daily routines involving child-rearing,

cooking, house cleaning, washing clothes and

gathering forest produce. It is a given within Orang

Asli society that the mean are responsible for being

the breadwinners in order to sustain the family’s

daily existence. The responsibilities handed to the

women on the other hand, are limited to the home

and as a result, they do not do any other work

outside their village area. However, Orang Asli

women have various skills that can be ventured into

and made into attractive tourism products in the

Lenggong tourism industry.

The production of handicrafts comprises a skill

that has been passed down through the generations.

Handicrafts that are produced by Orang Asli society

possess an aesthetic value all on their own, and they

are also obviously known for creating handicrafts

that are unique. Orang Asli society are skilled in

using materials that they find in their environment in

creating handicrafts that are used in their daily lives.

These daily-use items which are produced can

indirectly become handicrafts that can be sold to

interested tourists. Orang Asli women are mostly

more skilled in the creation of handicrafts that

require weaving techniques, such as baskets and

mats that are made from mengkuang leaves and

rattan. The process of handicraft production, from

aspects of material and techniques used not only

gives exposure to tourists, but also allows the

women to promote the handicrafts that have been

produced as a source of income. Apart from

promoting the uniqueness of these high-quality

goods, Orang Asli women who are skilled in the

creation of handicrafts can indirectly preserve their

ancestral cultural heritage.

The Sewang dance is a tradition that is quite

synonymous with the cultural heritage of the Orang

Asli, danced since time immemorial by their

ancestors. Orang Asli society and their sewang

dance are inseparable, because it ties together all the

events that happen in their daily lives. The sewang

dance is performed for various important events,

such as deaths, wedding celebrations, celebrating the

New Year, celebrating the harvest season,

entertaining tourists and many other occasions.

Orang Asli women serve an important role in the

sewang dance because all of the musicians within

the dance comprise women only. Through the

sewang dance as well, Orang Asli women can not

only present their culture, but also promote their

dance while welcoming tourists that come to the

village, because the dance is already a compulsory

event anticipated by the tourists when they enter the

tourism programs that are available. Apart from that,

Orang Asli women also gain the opportunity to

display their skill in playing traditional musical

instruments that are made from bamboo, which are

used to produce attractive rhythms during the

sewang dance. Tourists not only have the

opportunity to join the dance, but also get to learn

the technique behind playing these traditional

musical instruments played by the women. Apart

from preserving cultural heritage, Orang Asli

women can also promote the sewang dance in

tourism packages in Lenggong.

One of the roles that women have in a family is

cooking and food preparation. Cooking techniques

that are used by the Orang Asli are different from

other ethnicities because they still used traditional

methods that utilise a wood stove. Cooking

techniques can be utilised by Orang Asli women to

demonstrate and introduce the uniqueness of

cooking food in bamboo. Apart from that, it also

attracts the interest of tourists to try for themselves

the deliciousness and authenticity of traditional

Orang Asli cooking, which uses fresh ingredients

that are gathered from the surrounding environment

within their village. Traditional Orang Asli cooking

can also be served to tourists as a tourism product

that is authentic. The preservation of cultural

heritage can help the Orang Asli women empower

their traditional knowledge with regards to food

preparation. As a result, it can attract the interest of

tourists that wish to know about traditional Orang

Asli cooking as well as enabling them to learn these

cooking techniques.

The women can also sell forest produce, such as

tree roots and herbs to the tourists at a reasonable

rate, as well as promoting traditional medicine that is

practiced by the Orang Asli. There are various kinds

of herbs that are used by the Orang Asli that have

many benefits and uses in treating diseases and even

preserving well-being, which may not be known by

most people. The authenticity, nutrition and efficacy

of these herbs can be shared with the tourists

through secrets, adages as well as practices that are

practiced by the Orang Asli women. Apart from that,

this sharing can also be presented to foreign tourists

through folktales, experiences and cultural

knowledge that they possess. Indirectly, Orang Asli

women can acquire a source of income from the sale

of herbal products to tourists. The added income

acquired can help their husbands to support their

families, especially with basic necessities.

Apart from that, using the skills that they already

have, Orang Asli women must also be bold enough

to try and venture into an occupation in order to

break with tradition in their efforts in empowering

themselves, such as becoming tour guides, which is

Empowering Orang Asli Women in Tourism Industry: A Case Study in Lenggong Valley, Perak, Malaysia

349

a job usually done by men. It cannot be denied that

Orang Asli society is well known for their

knowledge about the ins and outs of the forest,

because they have in fact lived in Lenggong since

time immemorial. As a result using these skills, the

women can also be tour guides by giving exposure

in the identification of herbs in the forest that are

mostly used in the traditional medicine of the Orang

Asli to the tourists that come over to their villages.

This exposure to their experience and deep

knowledge about tree roots and herbs that are used

to cure all sorts of diseases can be turned into a

tourist attraction in Lenggong.

2.1 The Effort to Empower Orang Asli

Women

Various efforts have been done to help empower

Orang Asli women in the tourism industry in

Lenggong as well as increasing their potential,

especially in the field of entrepreneurship, such as

the creation of handicrafts. One of them is to create a

special place in each village to ease the gathering of

the women folk to produce handicrafts. This special

place can also help them acquire formal training to

learn more skills as well as techniques in handicraft

making, supported by a skilled educational

workforce. Orang Asli women who are skilled gain

the opportunity to present their talents so that they

can be highlighted. The Orang Asli Development

Agency (Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli, JAKOA)

was recommended to provide more courses on

handicraft making where the educators would be

found amongst the skilled of the Orang Asli. Apart

from that, a special place ought to be created that

can be used as a centre for handicraft material

gathering, so that all products that are created can be

gathered there as well. With this gathering centre,

buyers from outside can purchase these handicrafts

created by the Orang Asli women more

conveniently. Apart from that, tourists can also get

to see the creative process behind the creation of the

handicrafts, especially in terms of their type,

materials as well as technique, in order to create a

product that is beautiful and high in quality.

The Orang Asli Development Agency, with the

cooperation of various other agencies also plays an

important role in connecting the inhabitants,

especially the Orang Asli women of Lenggong, with

resources that can help them venture into the

handicraft making business. Basic exposure to

business knowledge is extremely important, in order

for them to utilize their knowledge so that they may

better their socioeconomic condition. The women of

the Orang Asli society must be bolder, be highly

motivated, be creative and curious, as well as

possess information of and be prepared for all sorts

of challenges in their efforts to become successful

entrepreneurs. Apart from that, in order to ensure

handicraft products made by Orang Asli women can

be commercialised, specific training and handicraft

promotion must be done so that their cultural

heritage does not go extinct or forgotten, and goes

on to become the highlight of the general public.

Indirectly, it opens up new employment

opportunities to Orang Asli women, and

consequently improves their standard of living in

terms of sources of income through the sale of

handicrafts. Although traditional handicrafts do not

bring forth huge profits, if they are promoted and

managed commercially, they can at the very least

bring some reasonable measure of profit.

Their expertise in preparing the ingredients for

traditional medicines can empower Orang Asli

women in the field of alternative medicine.

Authorities and agencies that are involved in this

field, including the Malaysian Forest Research

Institute (Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan

Malaysia, FRIM) can help in initiating research as

well as analysis on the herbs used in traditional

Orang Asli herbs using advanced modern

technology, in order to ensure the efficacy of the

medicines. The efficacy of the medicines is

extremely important in order to ensure that the said

products can be commercialised in the alternative

medicine market. The research is also an effort to

empower Orang Asli women by using their own

expertise in gathering herbs which are very

beneficial in the treatment of certain diseases. Their

expertise in terms of identifying the types of plants,

their measurements and the techniques possessed by

the Orang Asli women can be used in the

commercialisation of traditional medicine products,

using medicinal roots as well as herbs that can be

gathered from the forest.

Efforts done with the help of the Orang Asli

Development Agency and the Malaysian Forest

Research Institute can open employment

opportunities to Orang Asli women in the field of

entrepreneurship. With the existence of these

employment opportunities, Orang Asli women can

acquire a source of income from the sale of

medicinal herbs in the market. As an initial step,

they can do collecting activities, gathering and

separation of medicinal herbs in small packets

according to weight or portions, and then sell them

to tourists. Apart from sharing the benefits of their

medicinal knowledge with them, Orang Asli women

can also promote traditional medicine as a product

and a new attraction in the tourism sector in

Lenggong. The relevant authorities can help promote

Orang Asli products in terms of development as well

ICMR 2018 - International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research

350

as increasing the abilities of products based on

traditional medicines.

Apart from that, other agencies that can help in

the effort to empower Orang Asli women include the

Federal Agricultural Marketing Board (Lembaga

Pemasaran Pertanian, FAMA) and the Malaysian

Agriculture Research and Development Institute

(Institut Penyelidikan Dan Kemajuan Pertanian

Malaysia, MARDI). Hill paddy (Oryza sativa) that is

farmed by Orang Asli women can be

commercialised with the help of FAMA, MARDI as

well as JAKOA. Research that is carried out by

MARDI can increase the quality of hill paddy in

terms of proper system usage. Exposure to farming

techniques as well as pest management can help the

Orang Asli acquire knowledge about the systems of

paddy hill farming as well as promoting the products

of their own farming efforts. Following that, FAMA

can then play an active role in the marketing

activities of the agricultural produce of the Orang

Asli women. With the help of various agencies,

FAMA can also help widen and develop new

markets for the planting of paddy in Lenggong.

Apart from that, tourists also have the opportunity to

see the process of planting hill paddy, planted by the

women of the Orang Asli when they visit the

villages of the Orang Asli in Lenggong.

Other products that can be promoted in the

tourism industry are forms of cultural heritage such

as the sewang dance. Cooperation with the Orang

Asli Development Agency (JAKOA) as well as

tourism organisations and cultural organisations of

Perak especially can promote the sewang dance to

tourists by sponsoring various programs as well as

activities that can empower Orang Asli women.

Exposure about the dance can be done through

programs such as sewang dance competitions

amongst the villages, right up to the state level and

even the national level. With the existence of such

programs, Orang Asli peoples, particularly the

women are able to present the sewang dance, which

represents a part of the cultural heritage to society at

large as well as making the dance a tourist attraction.

Traditional Orang Asli’s cooking can also be

promoted to tourists. With the existence of programs

sponsored by the relevant authorities and agencies,

tourists gain the opportunity to enjoy traditional

cuisine that’s been prepared by the womenfolk of

the Orang Asli community. Tourists will not only

get to enjoy delicious food, but also learn the

technique of cooking food within bamboo. Every

time there is a program, such as an event or an

important ceremony in their village, Orang Asli

women get to display their talents and mastery of

cooking as well as prepare food traditionally. Apart

from fronting their talents, they also preserve their

cultural heritage that they still practice to this day. In

order to enjoy the experience of having such

traditional cuisine prepared by the womenfolk of the

Orang Asli, tourists must visit their village in

Lenggong to see for themselves the skills of the

Orang Asli women, especially in food preparation.

The attraction will help the women of the Orang Asli

village become better known by the tourists, with the

existence of these interesting skills.

2.2 Incentives to Increase Awareness

Efforts to empower Orang Asli women, done by

various agencies and authorities, can help raise

awareness to them about means and methods that

can be acquired with particular regards to the

tourism industry in Lenggong. According to

(Brereton et al., 2007), the Orang Asli’s must be

made aware of the advantages that they can acquire

from tourism development in terms of monetary

rewards and the support provided. Using only their

main assets such as the uniqueness of their culture

and their present skills, Orang Asli women can

acquire a source of income that can increase their

quality of life. The relationship between the

preservation of culture and economics are

interdependent, where culture is seen as being able

to contribute to economic success, while economic

success in return contributes to the preservation of

culture (Hinch & Butler, 2007).

Apart from that, efforts to empower Orang Asli

women will not succeed if they do not possess a

positive attitude towards venturing into the tourism

industry in Lenggong. If the attitude of the

community indicates an inclination towards

supporting such efforts, the returns (whether the

rewards are monetary or not) that can be attained are

higher compared to the development that is initiated

in an area where the local community possess an

attitude that is not supportive towards such

development (Aref, 2010). This is because the local

community is the most important player here, and is

a ‘stakeholder’ involved directly in the process of

tourism development in their area (Byrd et al, 2009).

Encouragement and support from various

agencies not only can give awareness to Orang Asli

women, it can also increase the level of motivation

that they have to venture into entrepreneurship. This

is because Orang Asli society is more inclined

towards an activity if it can give them benefits and

returns that are reasonable to them. According to

Hinch and Butler (2007) in Rohayu and Noor

Sharipah, Orang Asli are motivated in involving

themselves in tourism, mainly due to economic

concerns, because the industry can help them

produce an income for the community. In fact,

tourism can also open new opportunities through its

involvement in the management and control of

Empowering Orang Asli Women in Tourism Industry: A Case Study in Lenggong Valley, Perak, Malaysia

351

important socioeconomic activities, empowering the

aboriginal peoples, as well as training them to

acquire incomes and economic advantages that are

formed from it (Goodwin, 2007).

In the effort to empower Orang Asli women in

the tourism industry at Lenggong, continuous

encouragement and support is very much required.

The most important thing is to ensure that they have

a positive attitude, as well as motivation to empower

themselves with the advantages that they already

have. Many communities in developing countries

possess the requirements for self-sufficiency using

the resources that they have in their own

communities (Kalson, Nor Ashikin & Mohmad

Amin, 2004). Orang Asli women in Lenggong must

be given exposure about the success of other ethnic

groups in this country, and use them as examples

that can be followed in order to increase their own

capabilities. Apart from that, the empowerment of

Orang asli women can help remove the assumptions

and negative perceptions about the Orang Asli

community, that they are a lazy group of people that

are unproductive. This situation is associated with

personal attributes that are one of the reasons

associated with the regression of the Orang asli

(Khairul Hisyam & Ibrahim, 2007; Mustaffa, 2008;

Ramlee, 2008; JAKOA, 2011). In order to realise the

efforts of this empowerment, negative labels such as

timidness, self-deprecation, over-reliance on

government aid and unproductive can be changed

with the involvement of the women of the Orang

Asli in the tourism sector of Lenggong.

3 CONCLUSION

The empowerment of the Orang Asli women is

capable of increasing their potential through their

cultural heritage as well as their traditional skills.

The preservation of authentic culture and skills

which have been handed down through the

generations to the womenfolk of the Orang Asli

have the potential to become tourism products that

can attract the interest of domestic tourists as well as

international ones, to venture in and take a closer

look at their lives. The existence of efforts,

encouragement as well as support from various

agencies can help Orang Asli women highlight their

talents in order to become more productive, as well

as venturing themselves into the tourism industry in

Lenggong. Apart from changing the perception that

Orang Asli women are only ever house wives that

merely organise household affairs, now they can

also contribute to the economic well-being of their

family.

Empowerment also gives exposure to the

womenfolk of the Orang Asli community about the

control over their lives, whether they are more

independent or are more reliant on relevant

authorities. Tourism products are also an opportunity

to empower Orang Asli women, especially in the

tourism sector in Lenggong, so that they can become

more self-reliant, competitive as well as be able to

generate their own income in increasing their living

standards.

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