Forced to use rain, river water

GUA MUSANG: The Orang Asli community in the Kuala Betis resettlement programme here has been forced to use rain and river water for cooking and bathing due to a water shortage from tube wells for the past year.

Kampung Ankek and Kampung Podek village chief Damak Angah, 63, said they would buy mineral water for drinking.

Damak claimed that water from the tube wells provided by the government could no longer cater to the needs of the 501 residents of the two villages.

He said previously, the villagers relied entirely on water from “tandak” (mini dams) and tube wells built by the Orang Asli Department (Jakoa).

“We reported the matter to Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad last month.”