Taking to Twitter, netizen @tiniz shared a video showing three Orang Asli children rummaging for broken toys at a landfill near the area they live in Kuantan, Pahang.
The video which has garnered 68k views were coupled with the message, “Have a heart, everyone. These are our children rummaging for broken toys near the area they reside in. Next to a landfill in Pahang.”
It is clearly a sad sight to see, that despite our nation moving forward with development, there are still those who are seemingly forgotten/left behind.
Here is a video of the children in their search for toys to play with.
Netizens commenting on the video too state that this sight is not entirely uncommon.
One netizen commented that if you are en route to Bukit Ibam, the landfill site in Muadzam Shah is frequented by the Orang Asli in search of things to be used.
Source: Twitter
“Every day the Orang Asli will pilfer the Muadzam Shah landfill site to find things to be reused. The smell is unbearable
when you go there.”
In one of the corresponding tweets, one netizen shared a screenshot of an Instagram post released by the Pahang Chief Minister’s office with regards to the issue.
Source: Twitter
IT turns out that the video is not a representative of what truly happened. In their official statement, the Chief Minister’s office writes, “The state of Pahang and the Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) have met with members of the Jakun on the matter.”
“According to the Jakun, it is part of their initiative that they frequent landfills to earn extra cash by repurposing unwanted rubbish.”
“Most of them have permanent jobs and the activity is done to add more income to their family.”
Further explaining the video, the statement writes, “The kids witnessed in the video were actually accompanying their parents who were looking for old cans, paper and plastic to be recycled.”
Well isn’t that a relief.
For whatever the reason, there is surely a sound explanation as to why things happened the way it did.
Also read: Orang Asli Students Are Heartbroken That Dedicated Teacher Is Leaving For Further Studies
