JOHOR BAHRU: The Orang Asli villages in the Pulai parliamentary constituency has the potential to be developed as an agro-tourism site and generate the economy of the community there, Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Pulai parliamentary by-election, Suhaizan Kaiat said.
He voiced his intention to develop the Orang Asli settlements, Kampung Bakar Batu and Kampung Sungai Temon in Perling if he was elected as MP, pointing out that the villages, being near rivers, were suited for agro-tourism and were capable of attracting tourists.
“I am given to understand that the government intends to build a new jetty as a facility to the Orang Asli residents here, as the villages can attract more toursts here.
“When there’s a beautiful jetty, there are boats taking tourists around the attractive village environment, it will boost the income of the community here,” he said during a walkabout at Kampung Bakar Batu here today.
The unique handicraft products, such as earrings made from fish scales, and the sheer variety of traditional Orang Asli fare could also be highlighted and promoted to tourists, he added.
Meanwhile the Tok Batin Seletar (village elder) of Kampung Bakar Batu, Kais Kee said villagers welcomed the suggestion to turn their village into a tourism product, as it would help generate their economy and supplement their incomes as fishermen.
He did urge the authorities to look at the housing problems they were facing, along with conservation efforts of Sungai Skudai, which many fishermen in their community rely on for income.
“The new elected representative should help us prepare more comfortable housing and restore the riverine areas here, including replanting mangrove trees as the forests have been affected badly, and this has disrupted our catch,” he told Bernama today.
Around 200 villagers live in Kampung Orang Asli Bakar Batu, located at the estuary of Sungai Skudai, while there are 150 residents in Kampung Sungai Temon at the estuary of Sungai Danga. -Bernama
