UKM "conquers" Ecolife for 2 days...

Colourful Sewang ritual dance

That's the target....a blowpipe demo by a Semai marksman

Yeah, it's delicious! The biggest banana leaf lunch gathering ever held in the basecamp!

Tapioca grilled the Semai way...delicious!

ECOLIFE basecamp saw the biggest congregation of students when 3 busloads of UKM  & UKM's National Permatapintar Centre students held their "Karnival Kampungku Sihat" (My Village is in good health Carnival) a joint programme between UKM's Red Crescent Society and Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (Department of the development of Abroginies).

It also saw the participation of the Health Ministry which held an open clinic, a mobile clinic and an exhibiton on dangerous drugs for the local Semai community.

Open clinic at the basecamp

Even a mobile clinic was set up

The highlight of the 2-day carnival included the participation of UKM's students in the ritual Sewang dance of the Semai tribe, the cooking demo of the Semai dishes, the art of using the blowpipe - a hunting weapon of the Semai , the largest banana leaf lunch gathering ever, a visit to a sprawling banana plantation, a 4WD ride to a Semai village, a visit to a Semai bamboo mansion and the chance to meet and mix with local Semai community.

One for the Album...UKM students with Guest of Honour YB Dato Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (middle row,seated in white shirt)

Foreign guests from USA, Brunei and Oman with Dr Hj Mohd Arif Hj Ismail (seated centre, in black t-shirt)

UKM students at the opening ceremony in Balai Sri Sewang

The 2-day carnival was officiated by Pahang EXCO (Abrogines Affair & Rural Development) YB Dato' Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, who sportingly made a dash from another function in Cameron Highlands to be with the students.

The carnival, which also saw students and lecturers from Oman, Brunei and the USA was declared closed by Dr Hj Arif Hj Ismail, UKM's Head of the National PERMATApintar Centre on the 2nd day. The students surely had a good time.

Foreign guest trying their hand in preparing rice cooked in bamboo

Friendly Semai kids made the visitors felt welcomed

A visit to the banana plantation

Even a ride in a 4WD is a thrill to the students!

Inside a Semai bamboo house

Ecolife Basecamp: Fishing package

Ecolife Basecamp: Fishing package: Are you into fishing ? We have a great spot for you. A freshwater fishing sanctuary (with permission of course!) 2 and half hour drive f...

Fishing package

Are you into fishing? We have a great spot for you. A freshwater fishing sanctuary (with permission of course!) 2 and half hour drive from K.Lumpur in Pahang. Where you are 99% sure of getting a catch...prawn included! You may fish in the sanctuary area, a fishing pond or book a boat for a fishing expedition. Take your pick. Self-drive package includes all-day fishing licence, lunch, snacks, dinner and boarding, even Sewang. We can tailor it to your needs - even the dates! Package starts at RM120 per pax only. Contact us now...!

Freshwater Prawn (Udang Galah)....the biggest caught weights about 1kg. Worm bait is all you need to land this beauty.

Various fishes can be caught here...Lampam, Baung, Belida, Tilan, etc, etc. Your bait may include worms, cricket, small prawns, chicken bits or palm oil fruit.

An angler's paradise. The scenic, peaceful and bountiful fishing sanctuary. Patience is the key....

Scouts Jamboree at Ecolife Basecamp

The Malaysian Scouts Association held a Jamboree-on-air at the basecamp on 15th Oct where it centered its activities around amateur radio operations with the outside world. A busload of Scouts from Pahang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur , Civil Defense Corp and officials from the Local Education office based in Kuala Lipis joined the congregation held to mark the world's event.

The Scouts also planted 10 trees each, Meranti and Balau species included, at the basecamp and at the Pos Betau primary school to mark the occasion. The Scouts were also briefed of the development and history of Pos Betau, formerly known as Fort Betau in the 70s.

How about Merdeka rafting...

16-18th Sept are public holidays. If you had enough of the Raya traffic jams, ketupat & lemang, why not get out of the city and sail away in a bamboo raft? And sway the night with Sewang dance? Be with nature. Now's the best time!

Ecolife basecamp wish all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri...

Paint a thousand words

Paint from the verandah of the basecamp...and gain immediate local admirers. If you are into art, there's certainly a lot you can draw or paint here, as demonstrated by Halim. So, don't forget your sketchbook or canvas the next time you are here.

Scenes from the basecamp

If you are a camera buff, be camera-ready all the time if you are at the Ecolife Basecamp. There are a lot of National Geographic-like moments to shoot at anytime of the day. The river fronting the basecamp is a good place to start. A zoom lens would be good to have. TV Hijrah has done a documentary on the life of the Semai and was aired last January.

Children at play

ANGKASA breaks fast at Ecolife Basecamp

Pos Betau, 5 Aug.

The Semai listening to a speech at the Surau before the breaking of fast

The breaking of fast at the Sri Sewang

ANGKASA, the country's premeir cooperative movement hosted a breaking of fast ceremony at the basecamp. Organised by PERKAS (Selangor & K.Lumpur Association of friends of the Semai), it was the first such event to be held at the basecamp, and the first experience too for the Semai in Post Betau.

Dinner was a proper sitdown occasion - complete with fork & spoon - something they never experienced. All diners were also given a box of Tunisian dates as gift.

It was followed by Magrib, Isyak & Terawih prayers at the newly-refurbished Surau Al-Falah situated next door to the basecamp.

Magrib, Isyak & Terawih prayers were held after dinner

Invitees included the ADUN of Jelai, YB Dato Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, ANGKASA President Y.Bhg Prof Dato Dr Hj Moh Ali Baharum, ANGKASA senior staff, Tok Batin Ahmad Selalu, reps from K.Lipis religious dept, FELCRA , Masjid Tmn Melawati K.L, Sg Koyan Police Chief, and PERKAS president.

Police big bike team visits Ecolife Basecamp

The Police big bikers from Kuantan headed by Pahang Chief Police, Dato 'Dino'(as he's affectionately referred to) astride a 1300cc Honda made a brief stopover at the basecamp in Pos Betau as part of its Community Policing programme. They were on its way from Kuala Lipis to Cameron Highlands. The CPO later handed hampers to all 18 Tok Batin (village chief) of Pos Betau headed by En Ahmad Selalu.

Also present at the ceremony was Jelai ADUN & Pahang Exco, YB Dato Wan Rosdy, K.Lipis OCPD, local police from Sg Koyan, Headmaster of Sek Ren Pos Betau, RELA members, ex-Senoi Praaq servicemen & local Semai, who were all treated with a quick morning tea. The bikers then left for Cameron Highlands at 10.30am.

The CPO on his 1300cc Honda

Also to greet the the CPO (middle in black) were YB Dato Wan Rosdy (white shirt) & Tok Batin Ahmad Selalu (left)

The CPO giving away hampers to all the Tok Batin present

Our Yem...with his superbike

The CPO(middle) with his former schoolmate & friends

The CPO with the Tok Batins & former Senoi Praaq troopers

The police superbikers

The biker in the middle is Shariff Stone/Aloha's cousin.

K.Lipis OCPD (right) was also part of the group

Secretary General visits Ecolife Basecamp

Y.Bhg Dato' Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur (middle), Secretary General, Min of Women, Family & Community Development was shown around the basecamp with her entourage.

Dr Noorul was explained what the place was before it became the basecamp.

Dr Noorul putting her name on the newly-renovated Surau Al-Falah to signal a new lease of life for the aging surau.

One for the album. Guest included the President of Angkasa, Prof Dr Mohd Ali Hj Baharum (in black songkok) & the Semai Muslim community. The Surau is now equipped with PA system, piped water, new mats & a new coat of paint for the convenience of the Muslim community in Pos Betau.

The Semai community were treated with morning tea.

Ecolife Basecamp Pos Betau came to life when the Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development's Secretary General, Y. Bhg Dato' Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur came to visit on 8th June, 2011. She also officiated the newly-refurbished Surau Al-Fatah which her Ministry helped to fund. Nearly a hundred guest, including the Semai muslim community came to greet her & her entourage. Ecolife Pos Betau is greatly indebted for the kind contribution by her Ministry to the Muslim community of Pos Betau. 

Seriously, the girls are younger than the Sewang...

The Sewang may be an ancient ritual dance as old as the Semai custom. The rituals used to be managed, controlled & performed by elderly Semai. Not anymore. The Sewang  girls are now younger, prettier & much travelled. However, their backup "musicians" are still performed largely by the elderlies. Perhaps it takes time to master the bamboo guitar, nose flute & the wood drums. And all the more reason to bring along your cameras & videos when you make a visit here! For more infor, visit ecolifecamp.blogspot.com.

Come join the Sewang dance...

The colourful, mystical Sewang ritual dance...accompanied by 'live' music from bamboo instruments & coordinated 'wailing' of the Semai, a subtribe of the Senoi. And you can join them in their dance... All these can be experienced at Ecolife Basecamp Pos Betau, K.Lipis. Visit ecolifecamp.blogspot.com for enquiries/information.

Gems of the river

If you do happen to stop by at Sungai Koyan on the way to Pos Betau, try to do it on a Wednesday and/or Thursday. This is because of the 2-day Pekan Sehari (farmer's market) held everyweek, the scale of which defied logic for a small town. If you are into local freshwater fish, there's a few species brought in by local breeders. You may also come across the exotic Baung once in a while. So, the next time you are here, don't forget your fishing rods.

Creatures of the night...

When night falls in Pos Betau, it is super-quiet. So quiet that the only thing you'll hear or see is the creatures of the night - the insect kind. One of it that caught my fancy is this colourful, unique, butterfly-like insect. It clinged on the door at the basecamp. Anybody know what's it called?  

Development comes fast to Pos Betau

SIGNS of development are everywhere in Pos Betau. Water issues are being addressed with the construction of a new water pump station and the supply of water tanks to 14 of the 18 kampungs in P.Betau.  Schools are being upgraded with solar panels. Latest to follow is the construction of a road to Pos Lenjang some 29km into the jungle currently accessible by only 4WD, as announced by the PM when he visited the area in the middle of last year. Wonder when will handphone signals, internet lines reach here next.

Akademi Hanxing student's field day at Ecolife

Last 9-10th April saw a busload of students from Akademi Hanxing for Journalism & Communication, K.L.congregating at Ecolife basecamp to finish their coursework in a real life setting. Armed with cameras & videos, they worked hard over 2 days and 1 night covering all aspects of the Semai culture, rode the bamboo raft, jumped from a nearby bridge into the river with the semai kids, visited their orchards, taste their food and finally participated in the colourful Sewang dance in a party-like atmosphere.




Students with a group of friendly Semai kids

 

Students listening to instructions from their lecturer, En Zaki (in orange t-shirt) before embarking on their assignment.





Having a meal after a hard days work, overlooking the river

 


Taking a breather after riding the bamboo raft




Interviewing the Tok Batin before the start of the  Sewang




Participating in the Sewang dance...



One for the album

For all, it was a trully, trully memorable moment in their life. Let's hope more students can enjoy their experience here in the future.