Jakoa, Kemas team up to help raise Orang Asli literacy

The Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) is collaborating with the Community Development Department (Kemas) in an effort to ensure the success of the Orang Asli community in education.

Kelantan and Terengganu Jkoa director Zarina Razlan said the effort was manifested through the Orang Asli Functional Literacy Programme (PLFOA) which helps the community master the 3M, namely reading, writing and counting.

“A total of 40 Orang Asli people aged between 15 and 55 from Kampung Pasir Linggi, Pos Lebir and Pos Blau have been selected to participate in the PLFOA programme this year.

"A total of RM40,000 has been allocated to Jkoa to implement the programme in the two settlements.

“PLFOA has been implemented since 2019 and to date, it has benefitted about 200 Orang Asli people in Kelantan," she told reporters after closing the programme at Dewan Merak, Kesedar Inn in Gua Musang , today.

Meanwhile, Saedah Along, 47, an Orang Asli woman of the Temiar tribe from Pos Blau, said she was grateful that she finally able to write and read at this age.

"When I was young, I didn’t go to school because there was no school in the village. I participated in this programme from September until October.

“I study for four hours every day with the guidance of a teacher,” she said.

Norhayati Ahmad Yassin, 41, who teaches the group said she was satisfied with the achievements of the 20 students who had attended the class for nine weeks with full attendance.

“Now they can recognise letters and numbers and even write their own names," she added.

- Bernama