MALAYSIANSKINI | At a very young age, one question popped into Eliana Tan Benghui’s mind: “If not me, then who will lead and inspire my people?”
Hence, at just 24 years old, Eliana has already faced down government agencies, corporate interests, and the daunting task of preserving an oral history that dates back centuries.
As the coordinator for Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli (Akwoa), she is part of a new generation of indigenous leaders who believe that the camera is as powerful a tool as the law.
For Eliana, the path to activism was not a choice but a necessity born out of a crisis.
In 2020, while she was finishing her diploma in accountancy at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus in Jengka, her home of Kampung Petoh in Pahang was threatened by a massive industrial project.
The proposal, framed as a "Padi Project”, sought to clear 700 to 800ha of forest - land that Eliana’s community relied on for protection against the rising waters of the Pahang river.
“Over time, after my village started to experience the encroachment and what was under threat, we began to realise what we needed to fight for,” Eliana recalled.
She realised that if the forest were cleared, her village would be devastated by floods.
Alongside her sister Diana and other young women, Eliana began documenting the community’s opposition using nothing but her phone.
They interviewed community elders, filmed the river, and created a digital record of their resistance.
Their grassroots campaign was a success; the project was eventually halted. The victory was rooted in a deep sense of heritage.
"We protested the rice project because it was illogical and merely an excuse to carry out logging, whereas that forest is the primary protector of our community against the threat of heavy flooding from the Pahang River.
"I began documenting the community's voice through short videos on YouTube to start this campaign until the project was successfully halted to protect our territory."
Akwoa had already formed as a collective in 2019 to empower young indigenous women.
Eliana officially joined their ranks in September 2022, turning her personal passion for filmmaking into a structured tool for advocacy.
‘Blood of a warrior’
Eliana’s strength is drawn from her great-grandfather, Yusof Kelin, who, at 103 years old, remains the “batin” (village chief) and a legendary figure in their territory.
A man who once performed "auditions" for the sultan of Pahang to prove his leadership, Yusof instilled in his descendants the importance of vocal defence.
“My great-grandfather used to tell me stories of how, in the past, earning his leadership position required passing many 'auditions' where he had to prove his eloquence and vocal commitment to defending his community.
“The blood of a warrior, the spirit to struggle, comes from my great-grandfather,” Eliana said.
However, Eliana’s identity is not singular. She is a product of Malaysia’s diverse tapestry.
Her grandfather was Chinese, and her father, Tan Benghui, carries that mixed lineage of a Chinese father and a Jakun mother.
Because her parents worked in Johor during her early childhood, Eliana spent five years in a Chinese primary school.
While this gave her the gift of understanding Mandarin, the transition to a rural national school in Pahang for Year Six was a trial by fire.
“It was difficult because everything I learned, Maths, Science, I learned in Mandarin,” she explained.
In her new school, she was bullied for her background and struggled to catch up because she still thought in Chinese.
“I had to read the multiplication tables in Mandarin in my head to answer the teachers,” she recalled.
This experience of being an "outsider" within her own community only sharpened her resolve to fight for the marginalised.
Filming for justice
Today, Eliana’s work with Akwoa focuses heavily on the core issue for all Orang Asli - land rights.
Without land ownership, she argued, there is no health or education.
She uses her self-taught filmmaking skills to bridge the gap between rural communities and the urban public.
From filming the mysterious "green water season" of the Pahang River to documenting the struggles of indigenous children getting to school, her films serve as both a shield and a megaphone.
Her activism has taken her far from the quiet forests of Pahang.
Eliana has attended international conferences and dealt with high-level officials, often finding herself the youngest person in the room.
"I feel that in the beginning, it was quite easy because we started with a soft approach and talked about our identity and touched a little on awareness issues.
“We used film to talk about land rights, but the approach was very soft - the conversations didn’t go too deep or anything too sensitive,” she said.
Eliana’s activism has now expanded to support other indigenous groups, such as the Temiar community in Kampung Kelaik, Kelantan.
The community is currently engaged in a critical struggle to reclaim their customary lands through the court process, while the river near their settlement is poisoned by chromium suspected to originate from an iron ore mine located upstream of their village.
By travelling to these interior regions, Eliana helps the community document their plight, allowing them to express their own struggles and maintain a sense of ownership over their collective narrative.
Through her work with Akwoa, Eliana also ensures that the narratives are driven by the women themselves, focusing on their unique challenges and leadership in protecting their community's heritage and land.
She sees herself as a spokesperson for those who cannot speak, especially the women of her community who have long been told their place is in the kitchen.
“In the beginning, many elders questioned us, saying that a woman’s place is only in the kitchen, but I believe if I don’t lead and inspire my people now, then who will?"
Love for the land
She admits to being intimidated, even crying during meetings with government officers.
“I cried because of nerves, but also because of love for the land,” Eliana said.
Despite the personal sacrifices, the lack of a social life, and the physical toll that once landed her in the hospital, Eliana remains committed.
In her village, it is the women who are now speaking up the loudest.
And Eliana stands as a reminder that the most impactful leadership often begins at home, in the defence of one’s own backyard.
For Eliana, the fight is simple: “We have protected this area so it remains useful for the next generation.
“It is our home, our heritage, and it must be protected,” she said.
MALAYSIANSKINI is a series on Malaysians you should know. For March, we are featuring notable Malaysian women as part of the Women in Front series for International Women’s Day.
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