SPECIAL REPORT It has been three weeks since the floods subsided and yet there are hundreds of Orang Asli in the interiors of the Gua Musang area who have yet to receive any help.

Malaysiakini joined a volunteer group called the 'Elite 4X4 Search and Rescue Squad of the Malaysian Emergency Disaster Relief Foundation' (MERDF), who have been going in to deliver aid to the Orang Asli deep in the jungles affected by the floods.

There are more than 2,000 Orang Asli living in the forests of Gua Musang, in 20 villages.

It was not easy getting there ­ roads were blocked and bridges have been washed away by the raging floods.

Our destination was Kampung Tohoi and we had to cross a river without a bridge.

Plan B

Although we had initially wanted to repair the bridge, the process was too cumbersome and time was of the essence.

We devised a plan with the help of New Zealander David J Stewart, ­a convoy leader with more than 20 years of off road driving experience ­ and trainer Badrul from the other convoy, to cross the river without a bridge.

When you run out of ideas, you’ll usually go back to the simplest one.

This one was called Plan B.

Plan B works by submerging the 4WDs in the river, almost at window level, to get across.

This is extremely dangerous if attempted by an inexperienced driver. We had spotted rain clouds coming towards us once again and we needed to cross the river quickly.

As dangerous as it is for us to cross, we were told the Orang Asli wade through the river, time after time regardless of the weather conditions and water levels, in search of food to feed their families and medicine to treat their sick.

For them, this river can be the difference between life and death.

That being said, the first truck, which was secured with a couple of heavy duty straps, anchored to three massive felled logs about 50 metres on the other side of the river, crossed first.

Everyone held their breath because we did not know what would happen. Although the 4x4s were made for these sort of things, everyone was still anxious. Everyone’s eyes were on Stewart’s truck.

How we went into the river

Stewart eased the front of the truck into river slowly, navigating through the river bed. Then, there was a loud ‘crack’ at the rear of the truck. In a matter of seconds, with some odd twists and turns, he made it on to the other side. Everyone cheered, including the Orang Asli. To them, this was entertainment.

Then all the other trucks crossed the river ­ without any problem except for the final truck ­ Badrul’s, which did not have a snorkel.

This is a device used to protect the trucks from dust and water ingestion, an essential feature when driving off road.

The water flooded his engine, causing it to stall in the middle of the river. We had to attach double winches to pull it out of the water.

By then, the damage was done. Another two hours was spent fixing the soaked engine. During that time, a rescue party from the base camp came by to help us.

As soon as the cars crossed, the Orang Asli started to put the logs back together, all in a blink of an eye. This task would have taken us at least an hour or more.

These resilient, courageous and natural builders put the bridge together in less than 20 minutes. In the face of adversity, they continued to smile.

Although the 4WD was temporarily fixed, the engine must continue running in order for it to work or it will have to be abandoned. The terrain was becoming increasingly treacherous. Slippery slopes coupled with camouflaged holes in the dirt road caused us precious time.

Another detour was taken. Navigating through the shortest path available was slowly becoming a nightmare. The same bridge we crossed yesterday was not levelled anymore. One part of it had sunk by four feet. Underneath this makeshift bridge, pieced together with logs and mud, was another rushing river.

One wrong move, and the trucks could fall 20 feet into the river. Thankfully, all six trucks crossed safely.

Completely destroyed village

We then reached a completely destroyed village called Kg Jias A. There was nothing left. Wooden houses on stilts that were still standing were filled with ankle deep mud. The one wooden house left untouched was six feet above the ground and water levels had earlier risen up to its windows.

Water levels had risen more than 14 feet high. There was a river nearby, and that rose by more than 30 feet during the floods. Everything was gone.

There weren’t any casualties in the village, but the Orang Asli were displaced, and their houses destroyed. Only one family was still staying put as their house was still standing.

The woman, with seven children surrounding her, said they had been without food for three days, drinking only river water and eating whatever they could find.

It looked like a tsunami swept through the village. However bad it may look like now, these Orang Asli will rebuild.

After centuries of living on the fringe of society, it is obvious that they will rebuild once again and will not be cowed by nature.

The Orang Asli in Kelantan are resilient people. They have faced hunger, diseases and the terrible elements ­ manmade and natural ­ and suffered the lack of help, broken promises and much more.

These people live below the poverty line. They most probably laugh in the face of death every time they navigate through these terrible conditions to ensure their community is safe and secure.

"It could have been worse. Instead of providing food, we might have gone into the village, pulling out bodies," Stewart said, solemnly.

The Elite 4x4 team said they will continue to work to help these people with whatever help they can provide, although, according to Stewart, the recovery efforts will probably take months, or even years.
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Yesterday: In the interiors, abandoned by all