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© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
M. T. Abdullah et al. (eds.), Resource Use and Sustainability of Orang Asli,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64961-6_3
The Importance of Forest Resources
as a Source of Income for the Orang Asli
of Kampung Sungai Berua, Hulu
Terengganu, Malaysia
Norhayati Ab Manaf, Ramle Abdullah, Jumadil Saputra,
Nurul Faezah Noor Azizan, and Hairul Nizam Mohd Khori
Abstract The indigenous community known as the Orang Asli peculiarly chooses
to live in isolated areas of Peninsular Malaysia. They are often associated with poverty and a traditional way of life in spite of the country’s rapid development. The
poverty rate of Orang Asli communities is the highest in Malaysia. Therefore, the
government has prioritized their needs in its 5-year development plans. Nevertheless,
the living standard of the Orang Asli has yet to improve with regard to income,
employment prospects and education status. This study identifies the sources of
income and forest conservation practices of Orang Asli in a village in the state of
Terengganu, Malaysia. Four respondents were chosen to in this study and data were
collected through interviews and observations, which were then analyzed qualitatively. The results found that the main source of the Orang Asli’s income in the village is from the sale of forest products, such as agarwood, rattan and herbs, besides
occasional hunting yields.
Keywords Forest resources · Income · Orang Asli · Sustainability · Semoq Beri
N. Ab Manaf (*)
Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (Bio-D Tropika),
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
e-mail: yati.manaf@umt.edu.my
R. Abdullah
Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin,
Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
Research and Publishing Centre, National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
J. Saputra
Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
(UMT), Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
N. F. Noor Azizan · H. N. Mohd Khori
Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin,
Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
M. T. Abdullah et al. (eds.), Resource Use and Sustainability of Orang Asli,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64961-6_3
The Importance of Forest Resources
as a Source of Income for the Orang Asli
of Kampung Sungai Berua, Hulu
Terengganu, Malaysia
Norhayati Ab Manaf, Ramle Abdullah, Jumadil Saputra,
Nurul Faezah Noor Azizan, and Hairul Nizam Mohd Khori
Abstract The indigenous community known as the Orang Asli peculiarly chooses
to live in isolated areas of Peninsular Malaysia. They are often associated with poverty and a traditional way of life in spite of the country’s rapid development. The
poverty rate of Orang Asli communities is the highest in Malaysia. Therefore, the
government has prioritized their needs in its 5-year development plans. Nevertheless,
the living standard of the Orang Asli has yet to improve with regard to income,
employment prospects and education status. This study identifies the sources of
income and forest conservation practices of Orang Asli in a village in the state of
Terengganu, Malaysia. Four respondents were chosen to in this study and data were
collected through interviews and observations, which were then analyzed qualitatively. The results found that the main source of the Orang Asli’s income in the village is from the sale of forest products, such as agarwood, rattan and herbs, besides
occasional hunting yields.
Keywords Forest resources · Income · Orang Asli · Sustainability · Semoq Beri
N. Ab Manaf (*)
Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (Bio-D Tropika),
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
e-mail: yati.manaf@umt.edu.my
R. Abdullah
Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin,
Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
Research and Publishing Centre, National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
J. Saputra
Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
(UMT), Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
N. F. Noor Azizan · H. N. Mohd Khori
Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin,
Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia