Perbandingan indeks kelestarian hidup dan kemudahancaman komuniti minoriti Orang Asli di Semenanjung Malaysia

Abstract

Kelestarian hidup yang dikecapi masyarakat Orang Asli masih kurang memuaskan di negara ini. Harapan untuk mereka berkembang maju seiring dan sederap dengan kelompok-kelompok lain di negara ini menjelang tahun 2020 masih kabur. Kertas ini menawarkan suatu analisis perbandingan kelestarian hidup komuniti minoriti Orang Asli dari kumpulan Negrito, Senoi dan Melayu Proto. Selain itu, tulisan ini juga bertujuan menganalisis tekanan-tekanan dari faktor alam sekitar, sosial, ekonomi dan budaya yang turut menyumbang kepada keterancaman beberapa kumpulan minoriti Orang Asli di negara ini. Andaian asas kajian ini bahawa penguasaan anggota sesuatu komuniti ke atas enam domain modal (modal kewangan, modal sosial, modal budaya, modal fizikal, modal semulajadi, dan modal manusia) dapat memperkasakan kedudukan dan meningkatkan kesejahteraan hidup mereka. Namun begitu, kepelbagaian ancaman yang wujud dalam bentuk kejutan, perubahan tren dan bersifat bermusim telah memberi impak negatif ke atas pemilikan aset dan kelestarian hidup mereka. Bagi menanggani faktor keterancaman ini, intervensi polisi pemerintah dan inisiatif lokal setempat perlu dipertingkatkan bagi menghadapi segala macam ancaman yang wujud.

Katakunci: ancaman, asset modal,indeks kelestarian, kelestarian kehidupan, kemudahterancaman, Orang Asli

The sustainability of livelihood enjoyed by aboriginal or indigenous peoples in Malaysia is still less than satisfactory. Hope for them to advance in tandem with other major ethnic groups in the country by 2020 is still vague. This study offered a comparative analysis of the survival of the minority aboriginal communities of Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malay groups by analysing the environmental, social, economic and cultural pressures that contributed to their vulnerable situations. The underlying assumption of this study was that the community acquisition of financial capital, social capital, cultural capital, physical capital, natural capital, and human capital should strengthen their living condition and increase their wellbeing. However, it was found that the diversity of threats that prevailed in the form of psychological shocks, changing trends and seasonality had rendered a negative impact on the protection and preservation of their lives. To mitigate, government’s policy interventions and local initiatives should be enhanced to help them cope effectively with all kinds of existential threats they were liable to experience.

Keywords: aboriginal, capital assets, existential threats, sustainability index, sustainable livelihood, vulnerability