“I work as a lawyer for Natives (indigenous people). We try to assist natives in claiming the land that they’ve been living on for generations. These include the Iban, Kadazan Dusun, and others who have been in this land for so long.

“I work as a lawyer for Natives (indigenous people). We try to assist natives in claiming the land that they’ve been living on for generations. These include the Iban, Kadazan Dusun, and others who have been in this land for so long.

They don’t have a land title, so when the state eliminates the ‘geran’ (land grant) and give it to a timber company who may not have a title or geran but usually has a license to fell timber, that’s when the conflict starts. When a company comes in, saying they have the ‘geran’, the natives fight back, saying ‘we have been here for generations, why are you taking our land?’.

Normally when they claim lands, there are 2 parts to it.

The first one is for their houses, the clearings and their gardens, and the others are reserved for fishing, hunting, and foraging.

Then in 2016, the Federal Court decided that the natives cannot claim areas where they forage for food and go hunting.

Effectively, that meant many natives could no longer have a source of livelihood, especially if you are Orang Penan.

They are a nomadic people who move around every few years to new locations and survive by hunting food in the jungle. Some of them work. Younger generations work in the city, but for the elders, they are in the longhouse and tend to the crops and raise farm animals.

Us people living in KL are aware of our rights, we are more suburban and more individualistic, but the Orang Asli are more communal, more welcoming and forgetful of the consensus of the group to build anything.

So when it comes to the court, which wants more details on things, the Orang Asli are not as meticulous.

It’s difficult to reach their kampungs (villages), by plane or 4×4 cars, and logistics is an issue.

But we need to bring more awareness to them. They need someone to tell them what are their rights and to speak about their rights.

They must be willing to accept change – I am but just a small Chinese girl trying to help”.

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

“I have been a refugee my whole life.”

“I have been a refugee my whole life.

My parents fled to Iran when Russia attacked Afghanistan. My siblings and I were all born in Iran. In 2004, we moved back to Afghanistan. For about 10 years, I lived in Afghanistan; I was studying Spanish Literature at Cavard University. In 2013, I had to move to Malaysia because of the war that happened in my home country.

As a refugee, I face many challenges because I don’t have any rights. I always live in fear and I can’t ask the government for help because I don’t exist. But I still need to make a living. I need to eat. I do work but we are underpaid. Sometimes, some bosses don’t want to pay me in the end because I don’t have any documents. And I can’t do anything about it.

I met many refugees who came to tell me that they have worked for their bosses for more than a few months, and yet are not getting paid. Sometimes they get injured during work and they don’t have insurance to cover it. They have to pay their own medical bills, and healthcare services are expensive.

Sometimes I get tired but I know that I’m not living for myself. I am also living for my parents and siblings. I need to be alive to take care of the people in my life. That is why I am still here. But at least we are trying. We are trying our best and when our applications are not successful, we still keep trying.

My only plan now is to wait for UNHCR to get me resettled to a place where I can have my proper documentation, get health insurance and study in a university.

I want to thank all the Malaysians I have met. They don’t care where you are from and they are very kind and friendly. I want to also say that there is a large group of refugees living in Malaysia. They need help and support because they are living in a very bad condition.

27 years now, I’m still a refugee, I’m already getting used to it.”

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Victor Raj and Samantha Siow
Edited by Sydrah M

My name is Rachel and I’m a Chin refugee from Myanmar. I came to Malaysia with just my sister and we were looked after by our aunt on our way here. It took us 7 days to reach here as we travelled by car, by boat and on foot. That was 9 years ago. I was only 6 and my sister was 7 years old. The one thing I miss about Myanmar is this sour fruit called saimitu, which you can only find in that country.

My name is Rachel and I’m a Chin refugee from Myanmar. I came to Malaysia with just my sister and we were looked after by our aunt on our way here. It took us 7 days to reach here as we travelled by car, by boat and on foot. That was 9 years ago. I was only 6 and my sister was 7 years old. The one thing I miss about Myanmar is this sour fruit called saimitu, which you can only find in that country.

My most memorable moment in Malaysia was the time we performed at a concert organised by the CSO (Chin Students Organisation). We did our cultural dance and we also danced to K-Pop music. We had a fashion show, too, where we dressed up in our traditional dress.

In this coming Hands of Hope musical, I play a character who’s also named Rachel. She’s very kind and always helps people in need. She’s quite different from who I am in real life because I’m very rude (laughs).

It’s sad that I was told I can’t go to a local school here in Malaysia. I really enjoy learning Math and I want to keep learning it. My ambition is to become a Math teacher one day, as I’d like to share my knowledge and educate others.

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Samantha Siow and Aiman Mustafa
Edited by Sydrah M

*Hands of Hope Charity Musical Theatre 2019 aims to raise awareness about the humanitarian issues happening in Malaysia. This musical theatre shares the journey of two refugee brothers from Chin to Malaysia and also the struggles that they face when they are in Malaysia. For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/2432726603440770/

 

“I used to dress like a tomboy. All black and blue, baggy pants and graphic t-shirts, looking like a plumber. I was into the whole ‘skater’ fashion.”

“I used to dress like a tomboy. All black and blue, baggy pants and graphic t-shirts, looking like a plumber. I was into the whole ‘skater’ fashion.⁣

After a while, I was told to be more aware of my presentation to the world. I felt a bit invisible too. Some people dress like that to be invisible. ⁣

It got difficult for people to acknowledge you. I have to say that, people who don’t put much effort into dressing nicely is sending a message across, that you are not bothered by how you look. ⁣

Its not that you cannot afford the look, you have to be presentable in a certain manner to show that you are serious, that you are to be noticed, and to be taken into account and be visible. ⁣

And lately I’ve been embracing my feminity, and thinking how I should present myself in a better, more thoughtful and professional way to the world. Wearing skirts was the hardest thing for me. Friends always commented on how I would always sit with my legs wide open. But it’s getting better now, I’m actually enjoying it. ⁣

Beauty is in the eyes of the creator, not the beholder. If thats what you want to show, then so be it. ⁣

God created us, God thinks we are beautiful. I just made a more conscious decision on how I want to present myself to the world.

– Follow us @thehumansofkl on Instagram for more human stories!

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa