THE past two years have been extremely challenging for Johor’s Orang Seletar or Orang Laut.
Falling under the lower income bracket, these communities struggled to survive when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Malaysia in March 2020.
They found themselves in unfamiliar territory when the government implemented various movement control measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.
“Life got harder for us when the pandemic started, as we did not have a fixed income like salaried workers,” said Noraini Abdullah.
The 40-year-old woman from Kampung Kuala Masai said the Orang Seletar led a kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang life (living hand to mouth).
Noraini, who sells fish at the Bakar Batu Orang Asli morning market in Permas Jaya, Johor Baru, lamented that her income had declined by half.
The market located opposite Sungai Tebrau was set up by Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) about five years ago for the Orang Asli to sell products from the sea.
“Pre-Covid-19 days, my average gross income was about RM500 daily.
“Now, I’m lucky if I could even make RM200 to RM250,” she noted.
She said although customers were coming back since the government eased restrictions in October last year, she noticed that many had cut their spending.
Noraini, who trades from 7am to noon daily, said the market was busy on Friday and Saturday.
“But more people does not necessarily mean good income, as there are other Orang Seletar fish sellers here,” she pointed out.
She gets her stock from suppliers in Pontian and Sedili in Kota Tinggi.
The mother of six and grandmother of six said products sold by the Orang Asli at the morning market were cheaper by between 10% and 30% compared to those sold at public wet markets.
“Generally, Malaysians are price-sensitive and will stop buying from you if there is a slight increase in your selling price,” she said.
Noraini’s daughter Stella Ali, 20, hoped that the new state government would fulfil its promises made during the just-concluded Johor election.
“The candidate, when visiting our village, promised to give us new boats,’’ said Stella.
She said a new 4.27m boat would cost between RM8,000 and RM12,000, including the engine, which the Orang Seletar could not afford.
She added that the family used their old boat, which was in poor condition, to head out to sea.
They usually travel by boat to Tanjung Buai in Kota Tinggi, about 77km from their house in Kampung Kuala Masai.
“The waters off Tanjung Buai are rich with stingrays, prawns, siakap (seabass) and kitang (a type of butterfish),’’ she said.
She added that the fish population, however, had declined in Masai and Pasir Gudang due to development in the area.
Stella’s sister Alia, 18, also hoped that the new state government would lend a hand to the Orang Seletar in facing the challenges posed by Covid-19.
“We depend on the sea for our livelihood as we are not used to doing other jobs,” she said.
She recalled the time when she and her sister both tested positive for Covid-19 in 2020, after catching the virus from an aunt who later succumbed to the disease.
“At that time, we had yet to get our vaccination but we survived the ordeal,’’ she said.
Stella was in the hospital for two months while Alia said she underwent home quarantine for two weeks and was hospitalised for six days.
“I was nine months pregnant when I tested positive but was fortunate to have recovered before delivering my son,’’ she added.
Kampung Sungai Temon tok batin Salim Palon, 62, said tomorrow marked the second year since he closed his seafood restaurant.
“I have been running the family business for over 30 years and this is the first time it has been closed for so long,’’ he said when met.
He said his restaurant survived the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis and the 2002-2004 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus.
“Despite not operating for two years, I have managed to pay my 15 workers, who are all family members,” he said, adding that instead of paying RM2,000 each pre-Covid-19, they were now earning RM1,800.
Salim said it was not economical to open his restaurant now as there were few customers.
“There are four seafood restaurants here including mine. Three started operating last October but they are only breaking even,” he noted.
He plans to open his restaurant only when the Causeway and Second Link in Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah open to casual visitors from Singapore.
“My place is popular with Singaporeans, especially on weekends and school holidays,” he said.
Salim said that prior to the pandemic and border closure, his restaurant with a seating capacity of 100 was often packed with Singaporeans.
“They are willing to spend RM500 to RM1,000 for a table for 10, which is considered cheap when they convert ringgit to their currency,” he said.
He also said that Malaysians from outside Johor too visited the village, located a few kilometres away from Singapore, to catch the sunset.
“I usually spend between RM2,000 and RM3,000 buying fish, prawns and crabs on credit before the pandemic, but now suppliers are asking for cash,” he added.
Despite receiving calls from his regular customers, Salim is not willing to take the risk in opening shop now.
“You cannot keep fish and other seafood for more than three days, because then they are no longer fresh,” he pointed out.
The father of 11 and grandfather of 24, breeds mussels a few metres away from his restaurant to supplement his income.
“There are about 30 villagers involved in breeding mussels and the income is enough to help us through the hard times,’’ said Salim, who is assisted by his wife Leiti Akon, 61, and daughters Erin, 16, and Kathy, 38.
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