InsafHR Malaysia recently received a letter of invitation from a medical unit in MBPJ (Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya) to supervise and assist in providing medical services to poor people in the rural outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. InsafHR Malaysia decided to participate by providing medical volunteers consisting of doctors and nurses while MBPJ would supply an ambulance and the medicines. After a successful trial session in July with Dr. Shawal, Dr. Rodzila and Mr. Mustafa Ghazanfa, InsafHR Malaysia embarked on its second visit to Kota Damansara.
On the 3rd of August, 2009, members of InsafHR Malaysia, Dr. Rodzila, Mr. Zamani Abd. Wahid, Mr. Mustafa Ghazanfa and Mr. Adam Ishak met at Dr. Chithradavi’s practice in Jalan Yong Shook Lin (MBPJ) to rally with the medical staff who were to accompany us on the trip to Kota Damansara. Armed with large quantities of medicine ranging from antibiotics to calamine lotion, we set off in an ambulance to the location of our mobile clinic.
The objectives of our mission were to assist MBPJ and lighten its workload by offering additional medical personnel which MBPJ were in dire shortage of. InsafHR Malaysia aimed to provide much needed free medicine and advice to poor families living in remote areas where medical help was too far to reach
Located on the ground floor of a block of low-cost flats was an unused communal area that would serve as our clinic. Unfortunately, the premises were in a dire state of disrepair with leaking pipes causing a patch of water to accumulate in the middle of the room. After it drying it up, the tables were arranged and Dr. Rodzila started setting up the clinic. The patients commenced pouring in and had to register with the duty receptionist before being seen by Dr. Rodzila. The doctor stated that more important than providing medicine to the people was the need to educate them on a healthy lifestyle and diet that would help preventing the more common symptoms that were being treated.
InsafHR Malaysia’s members Mr. Zamani and Mr. Mustafa saw the day’s work as a vital step forward in providing medical assistance on a local level and insisted that the assignment become a fortnightly activity in InsafHR Malaysia busy calendar.
InsafHR Malaysia was invited by Y.B. Ms Elizabeth Wong (Exco Selangor State Goverment) to visit the Kampung Orang Asli in Pulau Banting for a ‘fact finding mission’ on the settlement.
Our objectives:
To do some reconnaissance work and to assess the development of the Kampung.
We started off the day by interviewing 4/5 local Orang Asli both male and female. We were also given written data by the Tok Batin Perat concerning the census of the village and a profile of the 2 tribes inhabiting the village. Subsequently we walked through the village. The walk took us about 45 minutes to 1 hour and we looked at the location and the conditions of the houses and we did some mapping.
Our main points for the ‘walk about’ and for observing the village fall into 3 main categories:
Health
Dr Alvin Tan Kwong Keong
We were told that once a month a medical team from Jabatan Kesihatan comes to the village to some general medical check up on the villagers.
Our observation is that although the villagers, on the whole, look fairly healthy and fir, there are some cases of obesity among the female population. We also think that the women should better educate about nutrition (healthy diet) and hygiene (clean environment in the house and outside).
Shelter
Ling Ing Hook
The houses in the village are built mainly along the main road as seen on the map provided, and some houses are scattered around. Some are brick houses, some are wood huts and some are built with brick and wood, therefore showing a discrepancy in the standard of living of the villagers.
We noticed that a lot of the land around the village is not properly utilized and that some of the houses are in urgent need of repair (roof, walls). We propose for another 2 roads to be built so that more housing can be built around them and create a more rational plan to the village. Others proposals concern the repair of the run down huts and those houses which look old and weather beaten (the wooden houses are the ones in dire need of sprucing up).
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)
Ishak Abdul Kadir
In general the whole place is in need of proper sanitation as currently toilets are shared by several houses (on average 1 toilet every 3 or 4 houses) and the toilet are nothing more that basic cubicles with a dug up hole in the middle with no water or proper drainage. The danger of contamination is ever present and therefore we suggest that every house should be equipped with a septic tank.
The water situation can be upgraded. At the moment, pipes are provided every few houses when in fact each house should have running water for the preparation of food and for proper hygiene.
Developments
The three points we wish to emphasize are:
Health
Apart from the points explained earlier we feel that the community leaving in Kampung Orang Asli Pulau Banting would greatly benefit from a twice weekly mobile clinic (maybe located at the Dewan). The clinic would be able to monitor the health and welfare of the villagers on a more regular basis.
Education
We feel that the children (from the age of 1 to 7) are in need of a centre or better a nursery (kinder garden) where they can receive pre-schooling education but also where they can play and read or where games can be organized. The nursery would need a library and educational toys.
A proper community hall would also be of benefit as the villagers need a focal point where to gather, where the youths can socialize and where they could have access to computers. Activities (sporting events, cultural dances, art & craft) could take place in the hall to further instill a sense of belonging and to behold the traditions of the tribes.
Activities suggested are to help with the preservation of their languages and their history.
For the female population we also suggest the implementation of a “Women Institute’ (WI) where they could learn about the topics related to child rearing, cooking, hygiene and learn new skills.
Environment
We feel that the population can help caring for the environment by utilizing the land around the village, but before starting on the cultivation of fruit and plants (ornamental or otherwise) the earth needs to be cleansed of the chemical which have infiltrated from the palm oil plantations adjacent to Kampung Pulau Banting.
August 20th, 2008 saw the birth of a new NGO in Malaysia...
INSAF MALAYSIA
I (Ishak Abdul Kadir) went to Aceh, Sumatra as a volunteer in 2005 and that experience changed my life! In April of the same year I went to Pulau Nias, Indonesia while in 2006 I went to Bagh, Pakistan and later to Yogajakarta, Java. INSAF was created following my involvement with these various missions. Disasters and calamities natural or man made, can strike anywhere, anytime and we should be able and willing to help anyone at any given time. It is our moral obligation!
VISION
Humanitarian and medical aid to all
MISSION
INSAF Malaysia is an independent, non-profit organization providing medical relief and related aids (shelters, food or clean water sanitation) to communities in need whether within the country or internationally.
Our additional aim is to promote volunteer work among Malaysians and invite them to share their knowledge and skills with individuals or communities in need.
Membership
The membership of the Organization shall be open to all Malaysian citizens irrespective of race, religion or gender, who subscribe to the objectives of the Organization.
