Malaysia

The Semelai and Tasek Bera

Batin Hokkin (Age 58)

Batin Pito (Age 66)

Batin Hokkin: Not so long ago everyone used to go everywhere by canoe. The dug-out canoe used to be our only mode of transport around the lake. The water level used to be much higher and we could easily find the resources we needed to make the dug-out canoe. Today we have to go to the other side of the lake by motorbike and we don't go that often.

Batin Pito: Today, not everyone knows how to paddle and make the dug-out canoe. The young people here are different, many don't even know how to swim because they don't go to the lake.

The water level has definitely decreased. Now there is more scrub because of the drop in the water level. The vegetation in the area is also different. Some of the resources I use for handy crafts are difficult to find nowadays, and this is because of the changes in the lake.

Batin Hokkin: The flora and fauna around the lake is now different. We don't find as many species as we used to. The water level has dropped and the forest area around the lake is now smaller.

Batin Pito: In the 1980s many of the areas around the lake were transformed into oil palm plantation. We think that this might have caused sedimentation of the lake, as well as exposing it to poisons and fertilizers used on the plantations. Although, we are still not sure what the exact cause is.

Batin Hokkin: The change at Tasek Bera has not been drastic. I have also heard that the oil palm plantation is the cause of the lake drying. I've heard from people that the palms take the water from the lake, but we are not experts. We don't know, but it feels like the oil palm plantation is actively taking water from the lake.

Batin Pito: Not being able to fish as often hasn't really affected our income, but it has affected our leisure activities and access to food. Since the water level has dropped we can't depend on the lake for fish. Instead, we buy our goods from an Indian vendor who comes here daily.