30/08/2025

SATURDAY | AUG 30, 2025

COMMUNITY 7

Unesco reps visit orang asli village in Lenggong

Struggling couple lauded for raising successful children

Ű P. CHANDRA SAGARAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

IPOH: N. Subramaniam, 72, who ekes out a living as a driver, and his wife M. Aliamah, 71, formerly a rubber tapper, faced hardships in raising their children. Their financial plight did not hold back the couple from Kampung Columbia, Ayer Tawar in Sitiawan in supporting their children to attain excellent academic results and successful careers They were honoured by the Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Makmur Negeri Perak at a function, Kalvi Yagam 2025, held in the Shri Shanmuganathar Temple in Kampung Sri Acheh, Sitiawan on Aug 10. “We watched them struggle to make ends meet,” said their son Dr S. Tirumal. “We used to follow Father in the lorry during school holidays. We also followed Mother to tap rubber. “Others invested in property, land or savings, but our parents invested in us.” Tirumal is an emergency medicine specialist at Batu Gajah Hospital. He holds a MBBS degree (Manipal) and master’s degree in EmMed (USM). Their daughter Ramyah Subramaniam is pursuing a PhD at USM. She gained a bachelor degree in Tesol (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Macquarie University, Australia, and a master’s in Tesol from USM. Her sister Latha Subramaniam, a Customs assistant director, holds a degree in human resource economics from UMS. Chief guest Logiah Thulasiraman, a senior high court lawyer from Chenna i , India, and chairman of Veerapandiyan Kathbooman Foundation Tamil Nadu, presented the plaque to the parents. Association secretary K. Nachemuthu said: “We want to appreciate efforts of parents who are working-class people.” Also present were temple committee chairman Datuk V. Elango and Manjung police administration division head DSP S. Sagaran, teachers and NGO reps. Ten Tamil school teachers from Manjung were also felicitated at the event for their invaluable services. They received plaques from the association and the Perak Education Department.

o Outsiders keen to learn about Lanoh tribe following Global Geopark listing

LENGGONG: Lanoh indigenous people who inhabit the Lenggong region of Hulu Perak have maintained their rich culture and traditions over countless generations. The Semang-Negrito orang asli subgroup is concentrated in Kampung Air Bah which has some 300 residents. The village is within the Unesco World Heritage Site of the Lenggong Valley and has an invaluable role in preserving the environment there. The community recently received a visit from a Unesco team evaluating the management and conservation of the Lenggong Valley as Malaysia’s third Unesco Global Geopark, after Langkawi and Kinabalu Park, reports Bernama. The

The session, conducted from July 11 to 17, was led by Dr Mahito Watanabe from Japan and Dr Ahmet Serdar Aytaç from Turkey. The visit to Kampung Air Bah was also joined by the Lenggong Geopark Malaysia management team. This delegation was welcomed by the Bambusa Foundation, which serves as the guardian of the village, founded by Dr Muhammad Hakim Abdullah. In preserving the history of human civilisation in this country, the ethnography and archaeology of the Lanoh are vital not only to conserve the cultural heritage of the orang asli , but also for the benefit of future generations. evaluation

in the Lanoh language as po’oil . We also served umbut bayas and three types of Lanoh sambal which are be’het , hi’pie , and be’yik ,” he said. The sambal has been made into a local product by the residents of Kampung Air Bah with their market now expanding to neighbouring countries such as Brunei and Singapore. According to Mohd Rizal, as a result of Unesco’s recognition of the Lenggong Valley, people from outside the region have begun to learn about the Lanoh tribe.

Lanoh leader Tok Batin Mohd Rizal Alias said they introduced Lanoh heritage to the delegation, including traditional foods, handicrafts sourced from the jungle and a blowpipe demonstration. “I found that the evaluators were intrigued by the dishes we served which were items they had never tasted before,” he said. “They were enthusiastic to try something new and really enjoyed the delicacies.” “Among the dishes we served was rice cooked in bamboo, known

Mahito (right) and Aytaç (2nd left) interacting with the native community’s people at Kampung Air Bah.

Senior citizens look forward to Punjabi community centre KUALA LUMPUR: When Harjit Kaur’s husband passed away, her children placed her in a nearby home to ensure her safety and wellbeing. However, she missed her Punjabi community friends, as well as events like birthday parties and the Vaisakhi festival. Ű BY DHARSHINI GANESON activities through Ekta’s legal, medical, welfare and youth initiatives. “Ekta is a registered NGO comprising Malaysian Punjabi professional women, including doctors, lawyers, professors, teachers, entrepreneurs and retired professionals.

Some elderly members of the community celebrating together by cutting a cake.

“Over the years, Ekta has become a strong pillar of support, expanding its outreach to include the building of a community centre, which can provide daytime activities for our senior citizens. “They have contributed immensely to our community and deserve a place for social interaction, wellness, physical activities, suitable exercise sessions, and motivational and educational talks. Most of all, it is to provide them with a place where their dignity and relevance will not only be respected but sincerely valued,” said Kuldip. As part of the plans for the community centre, health and wellness activities such as physiotherapy, rehabilitation, yoga and monitoring of chronic health

Today Harjit can look forward to a community centre as plans are in the pipeline by the Ekta Club of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur which is managed by Punjabi professional women. The club raised funds for the senior citizens’ centre as well as other welfare projects at Ekta’s 10th anniversary gala dinner recently. Led by Ekta president Datin Kuldip Kaur, the committee raised RM550,000 from the the gala event attended by some 650 guests. The funds raised were not only from table sales but also from raffle tickets, souvenir programme advertisements and donations. A portion of the money raised at the dinner will be used to fund various development and empowerment

Among the special guests were Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who pledged RM10,000, and High Commissioner of India B.N. Reddy. Also present were former Federal court judge Tan Sri Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal and Asia Pacific

conditions would also be included. For social engagement, the centre will offer arts and crafts classes, gardening, games and puzzles, while fostering a sense of connection for seniors through youth mentoring and also digital literacy classes.

University of Technology and Innovation CEO Datuk Paramjit Singh. The dinner also featured bhangra dances, cultural performances, fashion shows and songs by well known vocalist Kamal Chopra which added to the glamour of the evening.