Orang Asli

Within the Diocese of Penang, our ministry with the Orang Asli spans the states of Perak and Kelantan. In Perak, dedicated parish teams conduct monthly outreaches to the most neglected villages. They provide essential in-kind donations, organize medical camps for communities living deep within the forests, and assist children with their education.

The Plight

Our outreach specifically focuses on villages with little to no access to basic necessities like clean water, electricity, clinics, schools, and proper roads.

Often displaced in the name of development, many Orang Asli live on ancestral forest lands that lack formal legal recognition. This leaves them highly vulnerable to land grabbing, pushing them further into the margins.

Already lacking formal education and modern professional skills, these displacements severely jeopardize their livelihoods. Many are forced to retreat deeper into the forest, building bamboo homes, growing subsistence vegetables, and relying on river water.

Furthermore, those who depend on traditional agriculture and foraging are increasingly devastated by the impacts of climate change—enduring floods, droughts, and the pollution of their land and water, making daily survival immensely difficult.

Our Intervention

Food

To help alleviate these deep-rooted struggles, Perak parishes actively stand in solidarity with the Orang Asli communities. Month after month, they gather essential food supplies from the Church and deliver them deep into the remotest villages, bringing relief and hope to those facing extreme poverty.

Health

For the Orang Asli, the struggle for land rights has pushed many communities deeper into the jungle, leaving them without clean water, electricity, or access to basic healthcare and education. In active solidarity, Parish Caritas works alongside a local Catholic hospital to bring medical camps directly to these remote villages. Through free screenings and primary care, we bring vital health services to those who need them most—especially vulnerable children, women, and the elderly.

Accompaniment

Living in the remotest villages often means that the elderly must make arduous journeys to town for healthcare, and young children face hours of travel just to reach a classroom. Recognizing this struggle, Parish Caritas teams work hand-in-hand to help. Our volunteers actively identify vulnerable individuals, personally accompanying them to seek medical attention. For the children, we arrange transport and secure hostel accommodations in town, empowering them with access to education and dedicated tuition support.

Caritas Penang operates under the jurisdiction of The Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Penang.