Saving the King of River : Kelah in Tasik Banding, Hutan Belom, Perak

Travelog date: Sept 15, 2008

Pulau Banding & Hutan Belom, Perak

No 'ordinary fish' story 

Dr Johnson showing
how to handle the goldenmahseer without giving any
stress or harm to thefish 

I am no angler, nor do i know much about fish. But when it comes to eating fish – anything goes. Ikan air tawar ke, ikan laut ke...anything, I am telling you, anything (jangan ikan buntal dah la).



view of tasik banding
from my room

 Setengah orang kata ikan sungai hanyir, tapi kalau dah basuh ngan air asam, garam, buat masak lemak cili padi, i can be sure finish few pieces (if the fish is cut of course, otherwise beberapa ekor la). Or give me the ikan keli (catfish) or haruan (snakehead), bakar dulu then cicah ngan kicap, cili, air asam...or masak lemak cili padi ...mesti habis punya. Ikan laut – takyah cerita la.

Even fish from colder water – then we shall have grill fish for dinner.



landmark bridge across
Tasik Banding



But ask me to name the species of fish, I would go blank, especially fresh water varieties. Just like my knowledge on other animal species (like snake in the previous entry) is limited, the same goes to fish. How to distinguish ikan sebarau from ikan lampam, ikan tengas, temoleh, loma...I used to call them ikan putih coz of the silvery white scales, and watch them move under water – really beautiful especially when the sun hit the scale and reflect it. And they have lotsa bones, small, lethal and so scary to the faint hearted.

Yet, why some people, just would drool every time when they hear these kinda fish, despite the bones? Its the taste – of course!

No pain no gain so good things do not come easy.

Like the thorns on roses, poisonous venom on those colourful frogs – these bones serve as part of the fish defense mechanism – otherwise everyone, human and animal would wallop them all. At least with the bones, human and animal alike will think twice before eating them hehehe.

What more if you mention IKAN KELAH (Malaysian golden Mahseer scientifically known as Tor Tombroides). Well those from Perak might have heard of Sungai Kelah but I doubt many young ones have ever seen the fish where the place has gotten its name from.



The restaurant
at the Pulau Banding Resort



What is so special about this fish?

Anglers will drop everything they do and turn when heard about the fish. The fish fighting spirit making it one of the challenging catch and catching it will be a big achievement in the sport. (I am sure many would tell an endless tale about how tough they fought with the fish and how close they were in landing the fish – but how many actually succeeded in catching the fish).

It is also gourmet’s delight. Many have vouched that the fish is so yummy-licious and even the scales are edible, so they say. The flesh has smooth and fine texture, the kind that they say (well I personally have never eaten one, only touched the life one) will ‘melt in your mouth’. (I believe it has to be an acquired taste to enjoy something like that). Even the scales can be turned into chips – fried into crunchy chips. How true is it, I seriously have never seen it. The fish can fetch such a high price, usually about RM30 per kg but some people are even willing to pay up to RM100 per kg for it.



Debris from logging
activity upstream is
threatening the
kelah population



Combined the facts that this fish is one of the most sought after by anglers and gourmet lovers alike have lead to steady depletion of this fish, and almost to an extend of near extinction. That is perhaps the reason why Sungai Kelah does not have any more ikan kelah in it.

The authority is doing all its best to save the kelah population from becoming extinct.

Various fish sanctuary have been created to breed and increase the fish population (especially in the river at the National Park, Pahang), control and regulated fishing activities which include the catch and release concept (you can catch but then you have to release them – provided they are not dead of course – oh yes, take a lot of photos as proof of testimony). In the Royal Hutan Belum, Perak, the fish is a protected species so no one can catch them without the permit. However, the Orang Asli has the right to catch them for their own consumption.

Well, that is their right to harvest from the forest, that does not mean that they have the right to own it. (Akta Org Asli 134 - Hak orang asli: Hak merayau & mengambil hasil - dari alam semula jadi utk makanan sendiri spt buah2an, ikan, rotan, petai, etc tetapi bukan hak untuk menebang pokok2 selain dari untuk kegunaan sendiri atau pun hak terhadap tanah hutan). By logic, the orang asli who lives in traditional villages, will only take whatever they need for a day’s consumption (because they do not have fridge to store the excess food).



crossing the hanging bridge
to get to the kelah
fish sanctuary in one of
rivers in Tasik Banding

 However, now, there are people who would commission these orang Asli to catch or take out the forest produce including ikan kelah. So when the authority nabbed these unscrupulous people carrying these protected species including ikan kelah, they usually will say that, those are ‘gift’ from the orang asli – and they can get away scoot free.

“One of the biggest obstacles faced by the authorities is that the fish has a very slow growth rate.

“It takes almost 3 years for a hatchling to grow up to 3kg and amazing 30 years for it to grow up to 8kg, depending on its environment and food sources,” said Prof Dr RONALD JOHNSON, a freshwater fish expert from University of Mississippi, USA.

This makes the kelah one of the slowest-growing fish in the country, said the expert who visited Tasik Banding to study our ‘raja sungai – kelah’.

(So next time if you hear someone bragging that they almost, that’s the word, ALMOST land a 20kg kelah, you know what to say!)

But on the good side, this fish can live up to 100 years, if they do not land in someone’s dinner plate. Well, they can even outlast most of us human – provided we do not be above them on the food chain.



me holding the kelah's scale
(should I ask for royalty
from Kosmo?)



Dr Johnson, the expert also told that the fish's scale can be used as the fish footprint (not a title of another blog yeah) which tells a story about the fish life. The circles and patterns on the scale tells about the fish's age, the environment its been throughout its life, whether there was any stress or pollution, and the level of nutrient the fish has taken from its food, whether it was feeding on nutritious food or there's plenty of toxins in the body  (time for the fish to go to the fish spa!).

Another good reason for protecting the fish is that it can be used as an indicator of the health of the river and its ecosystem, much like trout in colder countries. Unlike the giant snakehead (toman), which can thrive in dirty and still waters, kelah thrive only in clean and well-oxygenated waters, which explains why flowing rivers are their preferred choice of habitat.

When the water is contaminated, polluted or become murky which affected the oxygen level, the kelah will die or fail to breed (fussy kinda fish aint it).

Dr Mashhor Mansur

A kelah will breed twice a year and once its cycle is missed, it will take them another six months to spawn again, explained Dr Mashhor Mansur, a professor from University Sains Malaysia, who leads a team to conduct the study on potential kelah breeding in several rivers in Hutan Belum. (Six months, more like human pulak, hehe)

(Note: Tasik Banding and the Banding Island/Pulau Banding is part of the Royal Belum Forest Reserve, a protected area with its natural wealth beyond ones imagination. The Royal Belum Forest Reserve is bordered with the HalaBala Forest Reserve, on the Thailand side, up north)

Potential Kelah Sanctuary

The fish eat both fruits (which falls from the trees on the river bank) and smaller fish as well. One thing they share with salmon is their breeding habit. They (both male and females) would race upstream to the shallower water to spawn.

Like salmon, they too jump occasionally when faced by obstacles like rocks. Once found suited area upstream, with good oxygenated (strong current) and clear flowing water, they will find a spot with a lot of rocks to hide their eggs. They will release their eggs either near the rock or on the rock and once hatch, the fries will feed on the algae on the rock itself (buka je mata dah boleh makan, kalau tak kena makan la that is).

Oh yes, mind you, this fish can bite too – just like the notorious toman.

SNAKE THAT GIVES BIRTH - Kuala Gula, Perak

Travelog date: 2009

Location: Kuala Gula, Taiping, Perak

THINGS THAT I NEVER LEARNED IN SCHOOL

WHEN I was in school, I was taught that mammals give birth, reptiles lay eggs.

That was taken as the rule of thumb! If they lay eggs, then they are reptiles, but if they give birth then they are mammals.

I remember asking my teacher whether reptiles can give birth and how she used to give me the disgusted look, as if I had committed the greatest sin, and was not listening to her teaching and was just testing her patient.

She sternly said – NO!

And moved on, with describing other characteristics of the reptile.

newly planted
mangrove sapplings

That belief stayed on with me, through biology class in high school Yes I passed the subject with flying colours and strongly belief that reptiles only lay eggs. I went through tertiary education with that belief. Perhaps it probably would have been different if I continued studying science in the university but I went doing arts, literature and language instead. So the belief stayed on until I completed my post graduate studies. (I guest, even if I were to stay on and continue to do my PhD then, I would still belief the same – that all snakes lay eggs).

It was not until last year, 2009, that I learned - SNAKES DO GIVE BIRTH! Yes, they do – at least some species do - shattering my age-old belief that snake only lay eggs. 



They do give birth too!



YES, belief me, they do!

(Felt so dumb when I found that out, especially at this age. Perhaps I was the only few who didnt know that snakes do give birth, or was my science teacher just did not want to tell me, so that I wont get confuse and give a wrong answer during examination – argh, the exam oriented learning).

Where did I learn it? In the mudflat, Kuala Gula, Taiping. Yes, off the classroom – out in the mudflat! Amongst the mangrove trees – which I also called my ‘post grad’ classroom!



my post grad classroom



I was checking the mudflat ecosystem to gather information for our eco-tourism and mangrove rehabilitation projects.

Getting excited to see the colourful fiddler crab, fiddling, waving its bluish, oversize claw while the smaller claw busy picking up food and scooping into its mouth.

While the shy hermit crab peeking from its ‘adopted’ shell then rushed to move away from the crowded place to find solace.



mudskipper (belacak)



Watching mudskippers wagging their tails and gliding on the mud.

Then I saw it – the snake!

Moving ever so lazily in the mud before peeking its head from the water, perhaps to see whether there is any threat or purely to look for sign of food.

It was stripy and about a foot long.

I am not too fond of snake but I don’t think its a phobia. I just dont like the scaly, rough, slimy skin, slithering its way – definitely not in contact with me!

So I do not have much knowledge about snake – nor do I know the snake family much, what more the individual species.

I can tell the basic family like cobra, python or simply harmless garden snake. But I can hardly distinguish or tell the name of various other snakes. I dont even know the difference between boa constictor, anaconda and python – they all look similar to me. All of them kill their prey by constriction, coiling their prey and crushing their bones for easy swallow later.

(NOTE: Python - a snake of the family pythonidae, and more especially any one of the species of the genus python. The snakes of this genus are large, and its various species are found throughout the tropics of the old world. The snakes of the python family are distinguished from the boas with which they are often confused, by the presence of the supraorbital bone in the skull. As in the boas, vestiges of the hind limbs are present, visible externally as a pair of claws adjacent to the anal cleft. The teeth are strong and adapted for catching and holding the prey. There is no venom or venom-conducting apparatus. Killing of the prey is effected by constriction; one or more coils of the body are thrown around the victim, following up the stroke of the head, and pressure is applied by the powerful body muscles. The pressure exerted by a large python must be terrific. The prey is killed, however, by suffocation rather than by any actual crushing of the ribs – source wikipedia online)



Does the face really looks like
a dog to you?



 And what about that snake in the mudflat in Kuala Gula?

Its the dog-faced snake, said my boss, a country director.

A what?

A dog-faced snake! Its distinguished by the dog-face look-alike feature.

It was hard to see from the distance of how similar the snake’s face to the dog’s anyway, but i believe him, with more than 15 years in the line, I have to believe him.

“And it gives birth,” he continued.

“Say what?” I said.

The statement was too much for me to digest because it went against the 40-year belief I had about snake as a reptile – that they lay eggs.

“Yes, they give birth instead of lay eggs,” he reiterated.



crabs - fiddler crabs!



Oh man, I wanted so much to question his statement – but I realised that it would only make me looked dumb for doubting someone who can be considered as an authority in the field, someone who has done numerous researches on the subject and countless presentations all over the world and published articles and books over the years.

So I had to admit the truth – that I did not know that fact, and it was something new for me – and pulled the face of a newbie who is ever so willing to learn something new.

Apparently there are several species of snakes that give birth. Among them are the boa constrictor genus – which include the boa constrictor (found in South Africa) and anaconda (which is found in South America) – both from the Pythonidae family (common name python). Although they are from the same family, the boa genus (boa and anaconda species) give birth while pythons (which are found in Asia) lay eggs.

Other snakes that lay eggs are copperheads and rattlesnakes.

These snakes tend to eat the still born (dead during birth) to replace their energy, which was lost during pregnancy and giving birth.

The next question was – does that mean those snakes that give birth are not reptiles?

Actually I learned that giving birth does not make them mammals, they are reptiles, still, regardless of whether they are giving birth or lay eggs.

According to the Wikipedia the dog faced water snake  (cerberus rynchops), got their name for their distinctive head shape with large scales (shield), small eyes positioned close to top of the head and nostrils. They are found mostly in mangroves and brackish rivers, but sometimes also in freshwater or paddy field.

They feed mainly on fish, mudskippers and eels. They also eat crabs.

They usually give birth to a dozen or two young ones in a litter (Imagine such a small snake is capable of carrying 24 babies inside its tummy!)

Actually it said, the dog-faced snake is quite slow and they do not move much in water. When faced with human, they tend to flee rather than attack or bite. Phew, I was relieved!

Oh yes, the same thing last year, I also learned that it is possible to have a paddy field next to the sea, something that my art teacher during school years should learn too. Over and over they had told us to draw paddy field with only mountain or hills in the background NOT sea or ocean.

I would probably
would have gotten an F
if I were to draw this in
art class during school years

The logic was that, sea or ocean do not mix with paddy field – they will spoil the paddy. Sea or ocean scene go with fishing village with lotsa coconut trees!!!

But in Sulawesi we saw how the farmers have their paddy field along the beach – only to be separated by the road. The villagers are both farmers and fishermen.

I guess we are never too old to learn, afterall, learning is a lifelong process - beyond exams!

Ends

KHAO LHAM : Lemang Siam

LEMANG, KHAO LHAM
and everything cooked in bamboo



Khao Lham



FOR me lemang and raya are synonymous.

Mention raya, then I will think of lemang. Its not dodol or ketupat. I guess it has to do with the fact that I was growing up in a paddy field village. Both of my parents are paddy growers, just like the rest of the villagers.

That makes rice as the village’s main produce.

And when it comes to rice, the glutinous rice is of course considered as exclusive. Not only that it fetches higher price, but it is also served for special occasion or turned into kueh for special days.

I remember how my parents used to allocate a special plot for the glutinous rice – and it was a smaller plot, located right at the front of the field entry. Its basically the first plot that you see when you go to the paddy field.

The plot was well taken cared off, I guess more than the other plots. Any irregularities in the water level or crop condition will be immediately noticed and solved.

They also keep a special corner in the kepuk padi, the house specially built to store the paddy.



my mom adding santan
to the lemang



So when Raya comes, my mother would use the glutinous rice for lemang. And man how we always drool over it. The aroma of boiling glutinous rice in thick coconut milk, mixed with the fragrant smell of young banana leaf used to line the inside of the bamboo which its all being cooked in, is enough to shake the strongest of heart – what more on a fasting month. How as a child, we used to lined up near the place where my mother cook the lemang.

How we purposely move closer to have a better view and smell of it. And how she would scold us for getting too close to the fire and heat, then told us that doing so, mencium sebegitu akan mengurangkan pahala puasa. Oh, we didnt care.

The smell was too good to resist. Even the smell of roasting bamboo itself was aromatic. (Honesty, only those who have gone through such experience, while the lemang is being cooked, will know what I mean, and how good the smell is).

Once its cooked, she would put off the fire and leave some amber behind to keep the lemang warm. And the lemang will stay there for few hours until berbuka time. And how we would wait impatiently for the time to sink the piping hot, freshly cooked lemang into our mouth – and that was after not eating throughout the whole day some more.

We didnt care much about rendang or anything else that usually go with it anyway. Well, she usually would prepare the rendang later that night. Sometimes she even waited until we go to bed before she prepared the rendang. Otherwise, we might continue our feast and eat the lemang with her freshly cooked rendang and she might ended up with nothing to serve the lemang with in the morning.

With meat being such a luxury at the time, she couldnt make a whole bunch of rendang for raya. Barely enough for us and guests who come over.

Whats with the lemang?

It may be sound like bragging but those who have tasted her lemang can say that it does not need anything to accompany it. You basically can eat it on its own. She uses a lot of santan, yes we had our own coconut trees so there were plenty of coconuts and santan for her to use. And she only uses the thickest santan – pati santan. Then the seasoning – coarse salt. Seasoned to the right proportion. She also insisted on using the young banana leaf – so when you cut the lemang, it clings to the lemang itself like a saran wrap. Older leaf tend to break and they are less aromatic. Few years ago, we thought it would be too much of a burden for her, at the age of almost reaching 80 then, to make the lemang just to satisfy us. So we decided to buy the lemang and how unanimously we all agreed that it failed to meet our benchmark, although guests who came said it was deli- cious! And we also unanimously, agreed to beg my mom to make the lemang, on the 3^rd day of raya. Well we never try that again. Now she only supervises. We cook.

And oh how I miss my mom’s lemang every time when I had to celebrate raya away from her.

Thats how I love my mom’s lemang.
And another thing, even though no matter how many pieces she makes every time, they just dont 'survive' long enough to enable me to take back and share them with some of my friends. They would usually all gone by the end of first day of Raya itself or at least on the second day.

LEMANG in Thailand

I was really excited when I saw something similar in Thailand. Instead of lemang, their version is called KHAO LHAM.



Adding santan
to the Khao Lham
before cooking



Prepared similarly to the lemang that we have here in Malaysia. With glutinous rice (pulut) and santan stuffed in the bamboo to cook.

The difference is that no banana leaf is used between the bamboo and the rice...and they use coconut husk as a plug at the top portion of the bamboo. They also peel off the outer skin of the bamboo once the lemang is cooked (macam kelamai tepung orang Rawa kat Gopeng pulak). And they are using the same, thicker type of bamboo (the type they use to make meriam out of) as compare to the type of bamboo used for lemang (buluh lemang).



sabut kelapa
(coconut husk) is used
to prevent the santan from
erupting during the cooking
process



To prevent the santan from erupting and spilling out from the bamboo when boiling, they use a ball of coconut husk as a plug.

Manuk pansuh in Sarawak

This is similar to the manuk pansuh, the Sarawak's famous chicken dish cooked in bamboo, but instead of using coconut husk as the plug on top, they use tapioca leaves (daun ubi kayu) as the plug to prevent the santan and juice from coming out from the top. The daun ubi kayu in manuk pansuh can be eaten together with the chicken, making it a complete dish.

To eat the khao lham, you just need to peel off the bambo, just like peeling banana's skin. It is actually thin enough and soft enough that you dont need a knife or parang like we do when we open the lemang.

There is no banana leaf to separate the sticky rice from the bamboo inner skin.



cleaning off the khao Lham's
outer skin



Local people eat that part of the bamboo as well, which tend to stick to the sticky or glutinous rice (and yes thats why the call the rice as such hehe). They also claimed that this part of the bamboo (the thin inner lining) is good for the health. But they couldnt tell why or what its good for.

Once open, the khao lham looks more like steamed sticky rice than the lemang bakar that we are use to. But the taste wasnt bad at all.

Its lemak with mild sweetness to it, infact, very mild in terms of sweetness compare to most of Thai desserts that I have tasted. And since it is sweet, it does not require anything else to accompany it.Definitely not with rendang like our lemang.

They usually eat it on its own, over coffee or tea in the evening or just as a snack while on the road.



Khao Lham: Adding glutinous rice
(with beans)
into the bamboo before
adding in santan



Later on, I saw several varieties of khao lham – just like our lemang. In addition to the plain sticky rice, they also use black glutinous rice. Other varieties include mixing glutinous rice with banana, black beans, corn and sesame seeds. But just like the lemang, I prefer the plain glutinous rice best.

How much does it cost?

In Ban Rong, a village near Phuket where I first tasted the khao lham and witnessed for the first time how it was being prepared, the khao lham was sold at 35baht each or 3 pieces for 100baht. Basically its about RM3.50 each. As comparison, our lemang is usually sold between RM6-RM9 per piece. But this khao lham is also about half the length of our lemang.



Kelamai

Kelamai or Gelamai

If you travel along the old road (federal trunk road towards north from KL) you will also notice another version of lemang. Its called Kelamai or Gelamai. It is a traditional dish of the Rawa ethnic group originated from Sumatera. Many might have seen them being sold on the roadside, especially in Tanjung Malim, Tapah, Kampar and Gopeng area, where the largest population of Rawa ethnic group are found.

But unlike lemang, the kelamai uses glutinous rice flour (instead of the glutinous rice), thick coconut milk and palm sugar which are similar ingredients used in making dodol.

One of the essential ingredients is the tahi minyak, which is actually the coconut residue granules (which is the residue obtained from cooking the coconut milk until it turned into clear, yellowish oil. This tahi minyak is also used to top kueh kole).

The ingredient is then keep aside to ferment for a day or two. The fermentation process will give the batter its volume.

Then it is stuffed into the bamboo, (thoroughly cleaned of course) minus the banana leaf lining (like in the making of lemang).

The kelamai is then placed near open fire (just like lemang) until its cooked. Once its done, the outer part of the bamboo is shaven off, leaving its yellowish inner layer. At some places, they shave off the outer skin prior to cooking the kelamai while those in Tanjung Malim tend to use the thinner bamboo used for lemang. It means the bamboo does not need to be skinned off. Some of the variety also does not include tahi minyak in its ingredients.

The taste?

Its tasted like dried dodol, with the taste of tahi minyak adding the umph. Its also similar to the taste of kek gula hangus, except that its less oily.

The fermentation process also creates air bubles which in the final product, looks like spongy, cheesy-like, kek gula hangus. Oh yes, the colour is also brownish, just like the kek gula hangus.

Lemang in Indonesia

The Indonesian version of the lemang somehow seems to be like a combination of both our Malaysian lemang and Khao Lham. Its cooked in the same way like the way we do it here in Malaysia. It also looks the same. But the taste is a bit sweetish - like Khao Lham. Although some places do eat their lemang with rendang, the Indonesians usually enjoy their lemang on its own - just like the way the Thai people like it.

 

Ah well, its almost Raya again. And how I cant wait to have my mom’s lemang!

Ends



Moken: the sea gypsy in KOH LAO, Thailand

Travelog date: Nov 26, 2008
Koh Lao, off Ranong, Thailand

THE SEA GYPSY WAY



A moken's house



THE first time when I saw them during my visit to Koh Lao (Lao Island) remind me of the Irian Jaya people.

They have golden brown complexion to mark the hours they spend under the sun and sea. Black hair with brownish streaks, bleached by the sun.

Big, flat nose completing their resemblance to those of the Irian Jaya people. They have nothing similar to any of the Thai people that I have come to know or meet throughout my years.

Sea Gypsy community
in Thailand

They are the MOKEN people – a small group of indigenous people staying in the island, off the Ranong coastline (Thailand), in the middle of Andaman Sea.

They have been living a nomadic life – on the sea thus giving them their english name – Sea Gypsy.

They drift from one place to another, from Myanmar (Burma) to Thailand all the way to Malaysian coastline, following wherever the wave take them, going to shore only to seek shelter during monsoon season.

The Thai call them Moken or Chao Lai/ Chao Nam (people of the sea/water), the Burmese call them Salung or salone and we in Malaysia better know them as Bajau Laut.

According to the statistics, there are between 2,000 to 3,000 of them living in the Southern Myanmar and Thailand water.

But since they live on the sea, little are known about them – until the tsunami 2004.



the village's meeting place



MOKEN community

They have their own language.

They live by the sea, with the sea.

They were born, live and die with the sea.

When a child is born everything that they are born with, the umbilical cord, placenta were thrown away into the sea, to be part of the sea. They develop clearer sight when they are under water in the sea, they can see clearer. They have develop skill to hold their breath, lower their heart rate so they can last longer under water – which makes them a superb diver. Their service has been used by businessmen in searching for underwater wealth especially corals and pearls.

These people do not live in one place. Traditionally they used to live in their boat which they called Kabang. It comes complete with a place for them to cook, eat and sleep.  

They are so tuned with the sea that they know its mood. Whether it is in good mood, sad or angry.

For them the sea has its own feeling, its own soul and it is something they would not interfere or disturb – instead it is something to be respected for when it is in good mood, it will flourish them with its wealth, fish and everything it has under its belly.

here we come...

I was fortunate enough to meet them in person, and spend a day with them during a field visit while attending the Scientific and Technical Symposium on Sustainable Mangrove Ecosystem Management in Ranong in 2008. The symposium, which was jointly organised by the Mangrove for the Future (MFF) was carried out between Nov 22-25 with 180mangrove experts, NGOs, local communities and government representatives from 13 countries. The event looked back at 25 years of pioneering and innovative research from the region on how to combine scientific knowledge with traditional ecological tacit to protect and sustainably manage the mangroves.

With UNDP (UN Development Programme) officials, scientists and other international NGOs representatives who were part the workshop joining the field trip, gave me the ‘front row seat’ in learning about these people.

Language



searching for clams



A trip to a Moken village will make you loose the sense of time. And how you can not rush them in doing things. The sense of time does not exit in their vocabulary.

Actually, the word 'time' does not exist in the Moken language. So it is hard for them to comprehend when you ask them “when” or how long. They can refer to the moon, sun, season but not hour or date. There is no clock or watch in the village.

There are a few words that do no exist in their vocabulary. One of them is WANT. So they do not understand what we actually mean when we say, we WANT TO .... or do you want to have.... they will shrug their shoulder and looked at you as if you are an alien.

They also do not use the word TAKE... so they only get what they find, its not them taking. It’s what given to them.

Huh, profound eh, but then again, perhaps we are the one who is making it complicated with our concept of time and sense of belonging.

There is also no hello or goodbyes in their language.

When we waved, they waved back but they do not believe in saying farewell or see you later or hello again. When they see you, they see you, doesn’t matter when or where. It is cherishing the moment. When you go, you leave, finish!

new house being built by NGO -
the move, though give the Mokens
new home, forcing them to have a
permanent home and leave
their nomadic way of life
behind

They do not believe in collecting possession. Since they are living in their boat, possession will only drag them and slow them down. These possessions will become liability – not assets.

Lifestyle

When a child is born, they will live with the elders. They eat, they breathe and grow up to be part of the community. Once they come of age, the elders will build a kabang for them. Building the boat for him will be like building a house for him. It is a place for him live and earn a living. When the time comes for him to start his own family then the elders will choose a bride for him or he chooses one of their own kind (some of them even said that these people do practice interbreeding).

They collect whatever they could from the sea -fish, eel, starfish - for their own consumption and if they have extra, then they will trade them with fishermen passing by the area for something that they want – salt, sugar, flour and rice. During low tide the women will comb the beach looking for anything that they can eat and trade – whether it is clams or shells.

Citizens of the sea

Most of these sea gypsies do not have certification to identify who they are and to which country do they belong to. The Moken in Thailand coastal area do not have papers to identify them. Since they used to drift along the sea, following wherever the waves take them, and land only to seek shelter from the monsoon, it is hard to say their origin as well. It’s not until recently, due to various rules and regulations even on sea, that they were forced to stay on land, building houses for themselves.

“We have been roaming the sea ever since we existed in this world, even since our forefathers.

“But now, we were told that we could not roam the sea freely, that the sea now has rules.

“At the same time, we can not stay on land because they say, the land do not belong to us and we have to move away,” said a Moken village head (whom I have forgotten his name).

a village for the muslims
located on the same
island

He said they were often harassed or chased off by the marine officers when they were caught fishing in the sea.

Some have tried to go to the mainland in search for better opportunity – whether with the logging company or as construction worker. But most of them ended up in jail for working illegally without permit and for failure to produce their identity card (which they do not have in the first place).

“Our fathers used to tell us that the sea belong to God and we can use it but now we were told that it belongs to the government,” said the village head in a baffled look.

According to the UNEP official, that was the dilemma these people were facing.

Although there were various efforts from the authority side, including the amendments of Thailand’s Nationality Act in 2008 which was suppose to accommodate these nomadic people, majority of them are still not qualified to apply. One of the requirements, which was newly introduced was that they have to have a permanent address in Thailand.

Most of them are nomads, and drifting from one place to another, going to places where the waves take them. Since they do not have a permanent Thai address, they could not apply for citizenship or even a permanent residency.

That means, they are not entitled for any kind of assistance from the government – especially financial, education and medical.   Yet it was something that these Mokens less worry about – for they have been living without any of them ever since. It is the government’s effort to force them to stay at one place and be used as tourist attraction that worry them.

Some were persuaded to live in nearby National Park, and promised them a ‘better life’.

They were placed in houses and employed by the park officials for monetary return.

Like monkeys placed in parks, visitors often asked them to stage ritual performances. And in return for their performances, the visitors award them with ‘modern world gifts’ of cigarettes, alcohols, drugs and junk food.

Tsunami

The 2004 tsunami that hit Andaman Sea coastal area and killed hundred of thousands of people living along the shoreline – except these Moken people who lived in the island in the middle of the Andaman Sea itself. Not only that they managed the survived the disaster, which killed thousands of those staying miles away from the coastal area, they turned out to be among those who saved the victims. They knew the signs. They sent warnings to the tourists within their reach. They saved themselves and those near them by taking them to highest ground in the island. Then went out to see to save whoever they could after the disaster.



Lunch time



“We were told by our forefathers about the signs. And we saw it on that day.

“I saw the water receeded into the sea very fast, as if the world is tilting to one side.

“Then all the fish started to jump off the water so we know there was something big coming and we had to run to save our lives,” he said.



kapi' going for 80baht/kg

He remembered the tale his father used to tell about the sea spirit. How it can give its ‘treasure’ but if it is not happy then it will take back everything and clean it up to give a new life.

So he believed that the tsunami was the sea spirit’s way of taking back, washing the land off and giving it a new life.

All of the villagers were spared, amazingly. But there was nothing left of their village. All of the houses were gone.

When asked about their lost, he shrugged of his shoulder and said in a lackadaisical manner, “its alright, we can always start over,” he said.



making kapi' / belacan



During our  visit, we also had a chance to have a closer look at how the Muslim community occupying the other side of the island live. These people who are facing similar situation like the Moken people - citizenship status.

However their economy is slightly better since the community has started their own shrimp paste or what the Thai call kapi' (belacan). With that, their village condition is also significantly better than the Mokens living on the other side of the island.   

                                         Ends 

story and photos by :

.