6
Methods
There were no textbooks, so I developed manuscripts for the two courses I taught.
From the onset, my students, friends, and colleagues asked difficult questions
related to the environment and ongoing developments. Hours were invested in
researching available literature, talking to multiple interdisciplinary specialists both
locally and abroad (Forest Institute researchers, university colleagues, bank officials, venture capitalists, consultants, and government officials). Many field trips
were taken in Land Rovers and helicopter flights over Pahang Tenggara (southeast
of Pahang state in Peninsular Malaysia). Orang Asli families were also interviewed
in the forests of Pahang. Virtually everyone was “hungry” for knowledge and ideas
to address emerging environmental issues. In retrospect, no one really understood
the full impact of ongoing activities on environmental systems, but everybody was
hoping for the best.
I taught and consulted at Institut Technology MARA (ITM) for 1 year and was
invited to join the newly established Southeast Pahang Development Authority
(Lembaga Kemajuan Pahang Tenggara or DARA) as a Developmental Ecologist.
The federal government agency was formed under the Southeast Pahang
Development Authority Act 1972 and was put in charge of all developments in
southeast Pahang, spanning four districts (Rompin, Pekan, Bera and Maran) with an
area of 1,002,197 hectares. After completing my Peace Corps assignment, I continued working with DARA via the Asian Development Bank.
Observations
All societies have scenarios for human development. Social constructs and “regulatory” frameworks vary from country to country. As noted, the constructs for safeguarding the environment concurrent to development emerge over time and are
usually formulated in response to perceived needs. During the implementation of
the Second Malaysia Plan, the country did not have a ministry for the environment,
and there was an absence of environmental laws, regulations, and standards related
to soil erosion, protection of aquatic and riparian areas, air quality and effluent
emission. The main yardstick for measuring developmental success was acres of
forest converted to productive land and the jobs it created. In the massive land conversion and economic developmental process, no one meant to do harm to the ecological systems or people, the Orang Asli in particular, but environmental harm
nevertheless was committed. This is the story of human development in all developed and developing countries.
From the onset of implementing the First and Second Malaysia Plans, the Orang
Asli were caught up in the industrialisation of Malaysia. The Orang Asli Act was
established in 1950 and while it was a work in progress, the initial idea was to provide safe and stable reservations for displaced natives to reside in, and presumably
A. Abee
Methods
There were no textbooks, so I developed manuscripts for the two courses I taught.
From the onset, my students, friends, and colleagues asked difficult questions
related to the environment and ongoing developments. Hours were invested in
researching available literature, talking to multiple interdisciplinary specialists both
locally and abroad (Forest Institute researchers, university colleagues, bank officials, venture capitalists, consultants, and government officials). Many field trips
were taken in Land Rovers and helicopter flights over Pahang Tenggara (southeast
of Pahang state in Peninsular Malaysia). Orang Asli families were also interviewed
in the forests of Pahang. Virtually everyone was “hungry” for knowledge and ideas
to address emerging environmental issues. In retrospect, no one really understood
the full impact of ongoing activities on environmental systems, but everybody was
hoping for the best.
I taught and consulted at Institut Technology MARA (ITM) for 1 year and was
invited to join the newly established Southeast Pahang Development Authority
(Lembaga Kemajuan Pahang Tenggara or DARA) as a Developmental Ecologist.
The federal government agency was formed under the Southeast Pahang
Development Authority Act 1972 and was put in charge of all developments in
southeast Pahang, spanning four districts (Rompin, Pekan, Bera and Maran) with an
area of 1,002,197 hectares. After completing my Peace Corps assignment, I continued working with DARA via the Asian Development Bank.
Observations
All societies have scenarios for human development. Social constructs and “regulatory” frameworks vary from country to country. As noted, the constructs for safeguarding the environment concurrent to development emerge over time and are
usually formulated in response to perceived needs. During the implementation of
the Second Malaysia Plan, the country did not have a ministry for the environment,
and there was an absence of environmental laws, regulations, and standards related
to soil erosion, protection of aquatic and riparian areas, air quality and effluent
emission. The main yardstick for measuring developmental success was acres of
forest converted to productive land and the jobs it created. In the massive land conversion and economic developmental process, no one meant to do harm to the ecological systems or people, the Orang Asli in particular, but environmental harm
nevertheless was committed. This is the story of human development in all developed and developing countries.
From the onset of implementing the First and Second Malaysia Plans, the Orang
Asli were caught up in the industrialisation of Malaysia. The Orang Asli Act was
established in 1950 and while it was a work in progress, the initial idea was to provide safe and stable reservations for displaced natives to reside in, and presumably
A. Abee