Teenage pregnancies and marriages are still a common culture for tribes in Malaysia. During my visit into the Temiar tribe villages deep in the rainforest, north of Malaysia, I met with many mothers who look to me like they should be in school. Some as young as 18 years old, that age accuracy is only if they remember their date of birth.
In one of the villages, I met with a young girl, she had a child with her. She is about 16 years old today with a three year old child, a baby girl. “So she was pregnant when she was 13?” I asked myself. She doesn’t go to school anymore, she doesn’t want to.
Her youngest sister is now 12 years old, and she too doesn’t want to be in school, but she wants to work in the farms, to help her family. According to her, she rather be in the farms, rather then been bullied or beaten in the public schools, 3 hours away. There were no schools available in the tribe villages itself.
Based on my conversations with the villagers, there are still many young mothers in these villages who need help with education, clinics for medications, labor and deliveries. Many young mothers choose to deliver their babies at home, with a mid wive as there are no hospitals or clinics available close-by. Locals are helpless when it comes to emergencies.
The nearest hospital that the local government build is four hours away in the closest town, some villagers have to walk there. I noticed, there is no sense of urgency or responsibility by the local government to help these tribes with medical care for the mothers, mainly with teenage pregnancies. This has been a lifestyle for the past 50 years now since the government made plans to upgrade the lives of tribes here.
I wonder what does upgrade of lives mean to Malaysians? What does it mean to give a better lifestyle to mothers and children? What I see the local government does is by building concrete storerooms they call upgraded homes for tribes. Is that what development is?
Do we see life as a materialistic object that can be improved by concrete buildings alone, or a better way of life with education, systems that work for the people and enhancing the way of life while protecting heritage, culture and history.
Temiar Tribe, Gua Musang | Malaysia
