#Travelogue | A Timeless Place in Tembeling River
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
For those who have never stepped foot into a tropical rainforest, or could never imagine how much time has passed.
(Everything is) old/ancient beyond measure. When did the forest begin, nobody knows; its end remains to be seen. Trees fall and rise; the tide comes and goes, Animals feed, breed, and die. Here, time is unyielding -- marching forward relentlessly, with an eternal quality, coming full circle.
I was actually late to realise that even though our land is already very old — 1.3 million years, here since the time of the dinosaurs — it is actually older than the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. That was a few years ago. To film a documentary on our indigenous people, I entered the long acclaimed Taman Negara in Pahang for the first time. The 153 km-long Tembeling River was the entry point.
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Rivers find their way through rainforests from its most deepest parts, ultimately converging into the longest river in Peninsular Malaysia
The river flows on and along, washing away debris, branches, rocks, and minerals, turning its water into a brown that belongs only to our tropical rainforests, much like our beloved Teh Tarik. Ships and boats alike move along purposefully on the river as it widens and stretches. I can't help but wonder, if on either side of the river, an endangered Malayan tiger is hiding and ready to pounce, or if the curiously mysterious Malayan tapir is taking a break, or if the largest mammal in the animal kingdom, the Asian elephant is passing by. "These animals are rare sightings." A single line from the river guide crushed my fantasies.
I later learned, what is even rarer than these rare animals or those unknown to man, are the seven indigenous tribes scattered all over the park that call Taman Negara their home. One of them are the Bateq people, one of West Malaysia's 18 indigenous communities under the Negrito/Semang tribe that has a population of only 1500 people. Reportedly, their ancestors migrated to what was Peninsular Malaysia thousands of years ago, stopping at the Malayan rainforests for respite before eventually settling down in a nomadic life. The forest, their market; the river, their roads. In their own words, the Bateq are the "child of the forest". Our objective is a tribe called Kampung Aur. We set off from the jetty for a 40-minute boat ride.
However, the indigenous people don't really measure time like we do.
Their way to measure time is by the river tides, by the rise and fall of the water, by rain and the drought taking their turns. They also don't use kilometres to measure distance, but rather by how the river winds — the number of bends and curves, and how many whitewater currents they have to pass. They have intuition and instinct instead of addresses, knowing exactly which segment of the river they can stop to cast a net and fish, and which to camp at for the night.
#Travelogue | A Timeless Place in Tembeling River #Travelogue | A Timeless Place in Tembeling River
Upon our arrival at the village, there were only about 10 household sheds made out of palm wood, no electricity, one flat pan, a teapot, a few bamboo baskets, all practically the entirety of the belongings of all the families in the village. They are off dark, suntanned skin and unkempt curly hair, giving me the impression that I had just met an African tribe. When they noticed strangers (us) arriving, their children gave raw baby-esque curious looks, afraid to come close. It was obvious that they rarely, if ever, come in contact with anyone from beyond the forest.
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Rivers, the Source for Their Everything, and What Sets Them Apart from the World
On one hand, rivers mean everything to the world's existing nomadic, indigenous groups. They come to the forest to forage fruits and plants, and hunt squirrels and monkeys with blow darts. All the spoils will be brought home to be shared with the rest of the tribe and village, as they believe that their spoils are gifts and blessings from the mother earth to be shared with everyone, and not for the individual. Consequently, there is no expression for 'thank you' in their vocabulary and language.
On the other hand, rivers bring wealth, desire, as well as various famous developments that have brought modernity to the world. Governments have requested for these nomads to settle permanently, but they remain resistant to these requests, defying outlanders' opinion of their indolent nomadic lifestyle.
In their world, every tree bears a name, all living things contain a spirit. Noises and rackets will attract unease and misfortune. One does not kill young animals, and wastage is taboo -- harvesting or feeding on anything more than what is enough to feed you is forbidden. They understand how to live in tandem with nature and the world, because it is their home, and is also where their spirits and the spirits of their ancestors return to upon death. This world view -- one that respects, celebrates and reveres the living world around them -- moved me unexpectedly.
The afternoon was interrupted with torrential rain, and the children rushed out into the rain like a swarm of bees, happily romping. What nature gives, they receive in welcome and embrace. At that moment, I actually envied them a little. In the middle of nowhere, beyond the reach of the rest of the greater world, the rainforest has its own order and life. Dead trees perish into nutrients to nourish the local soil, time carving out life and age in the shape of large rings in trees, while the river always knows where its waters need to reach.
I eventually understood why the indigenous and native believe, river is life. It decides who is able to enter their domain and reach them, who is able to survive; it offers fish and livelihood, while washing away the old, the weak, and the rotten. In its own way, so does the rainforest. It is there, present -- you only need to enter on your own, harbouring only reverence and humility, and you will leave in peace. It is them -- the indigenous native -- who taught me that man was never meant to control nature; we are only obliged to respect it. Like the faith of the Bateq -- they are never owners of the land, merely its inhabitants and guardians.
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As the night sky beckons, our guide and boatmen urged us to take our leave. I looked around at the four walls of their humble shed, and snuck in a question -- what do they (normally) have for dinner?
"We are going fishing later.”
"What happens if you don't catch any?”
"Then we won't eat tonight!" I smiled instantly: these natives are the real founders of Buddhism!
As I boarded the boat, I wanted to wave them goodbye, before learning that the concept of "goodbyes" is absent in their culture. To these nomadic natives, this is just another encounter, as life only gives one ending, and they are unlikely to ever encounter whomever they have met again. There is only the rainforest, which will continue to grow and evolve, as how the river will continue to flow, just like how it always was since a long, long, long time ago.
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#Travelogue | A Timeless Place in Tembeling River
Text & Photo: San
Editorial Work: Yeo Jia Xin
Article Source：《环境保育·无法丈量时间的地方~ 淡比灵河 | 彭亨》；马可波罗#22 《从河口到国土：流动中的马来西亚》
