Life for the Orang Asli known as indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia has been anything but easy. It is as rough and challenging as the paths and tracks leading to their remote villages deep in the forests.

The fact is, many Malaysians do not know much about the Orang Asli, or how the disappearing rain forest as a result of economic activities can pose a threat to their ancient practices.

Many Orang Asli tribes, especially those living deep in the forest, are at risk of being displaced due to logging and other economic activities.

They are fighting to stay on the land that they have lived on for generations. Their plight gained national attention when they erected blockades to prevent logging near their village, which has been permitted by the state government.

The villagers are determined to stop the loggers from clearing the forest that they have depended on for their livelihood.

An aerial view of Ong Jangking village built in a secondary forest area that had long been destroyed by loggers and now the secondary forest again threatened when authorities allowed loggers through their inhabited forests to cut down on other forest reserves.

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An aerial view showing the most of the forests have been cleared and turned into rubber plantations nearby to Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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The indigenous people of the Temiar tribe passed through some of the forests which makes the forest part of their home and the food-seeking area that were cut down for agricultural purposes at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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The indigenous people of the Temiar tribe just being able to own a motorcycle for use in dealing with essentials in the city in Gerik, Perak.

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The elders of Temiar tribe carrying the wild boar while they are preparing for dinner at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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Children from indigenous Temiar tribe learning as they watching the elders of tribe community burning the wild boar while they are preparing for dinner at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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Children from indigenous Temiar tribe gathered as they learning by watching the elders of tribe community burning the wild boar for dinner at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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The younger generations of the Temiar tribe have been taught by humanitarian activists to be teachers to educate children so that they will not be deceived by those who will take advantage of them such as customary land acquisition at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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The public hall is fitted with a solar light in a quiet night without electricity supply while all Temiar tribe people village come together to enjoy a dinner meal of roasted boar at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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Most of the Temiar women will go to other neighbors' houses for a chat to fill their quiet nights at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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Ramli Alus 31, bathing her son, Ashraf 2, using small river stream which also caters to the daily needs of the villagers such as washing clothes and drinking water supplies at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak

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The female community of Temiar tribe are a bit shy with the presence of outsiders and they all just get together to chat among themselves at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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Young Temiar native, Anjang Alus 30 (left), with his brother, Ramli Alus 31, tells how to use native weapon called "Sumpit" used to hunt animals and protect from the wild animals like elephant at the Ong Jangking village in Gerik, Perak.

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Tasik Asal Cunex village chief, Pam Yeek 46, was adamant on remaining on their land despite being pressured to relocate by the logging company and state authorities. He with the 30 local villagers also from other villages putting up the blockades to stop the loggers from clearing the forest because the logging will destroy the land and affect their way of life.

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Tasik Asal Cunex village chief, Pam Yeek 46, with his men monitor young rubber trees as part of efforts to increase the household income of the whole village by selling rubber seedlings to farmers after deforestation due to widespread illegal logging in Gerik, Perak.

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Some villagers of Tasik Asal Cunex village cooperate to rebuild the blockade from a tree trunk after being demolished by illegal loggers who invaded their native lands in Gerik, Perak.

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Some villagers of Tasik Asal Cunex village gathered and cooperate to rebuild the blockade from a tree trunk after being demolished by illegal loggers who invaded their native lands in Gerik, Perak.

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A sign installed by the Land Office of Hulu Perak district on an area previously blocked by the Tasik Asal Cunex villagers to prevent illegal loggers from encroaching on Temiar indigenous peoples' lands in Gerik, Perak.

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The children of indigenous people from Temiar tribe in Tasik Asal Cunex village in Gerik, Perak. Many indigenous people in Malaysia still practice a traditional way of life, have taken it upon themselves, albeit with a little help from good Samaritans and non-governmental organisations, to make sure they do not remain stagnant while the rest of the country surges ahead and they are determined to improve their lives so that future generations can have a brighter future in modern-day Malaysia.

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An indigenous woman from Temiar tribe, Ani Udalong 40, holding her nephew, Araski Sinar 1 at the Tasik Asal Cunex village in Gerik, Perak.

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