[Photos] Remote Orang Asli School Gets Lifeline Through National Education Program

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In the remote village of Sungai Tiang, accessible only by boat across Perak’s Temenggor Lake in the Royal Belum Forest Reserve, 125 Jahai students are getting a second chance at education through Malaysia’s ambitious Program Anak Kita (PAK).

The national initiative, launched on 27 September 2024 under the mandate of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, represents one of Malaysia’s most comprehensive education reform efforts.

Jointly spearheaded by the Finance and Education ministries and managed by Yayasan Hasanah under Khazanah Nasional, it targets 83,752 students across 3,458 schools nationwide through three distinct programs.

Three-Pronged Approach to Education Reform

Program Anak Kita addresses critical learning gaps through:

• Program 3M – Tackling basic literacy and numeracy among 53,252 students (Years 2-6) in 1,288 primary schools
• Program SPM – Supporting 10,119 students from 327 schools for SPM 2024, and 20,000 students from 905 schools for SPM 2025 in core subjects like Bahasa Melayu, Sejarah, and Mathematics
• Program Murid Cicir – Providing direct assistance to 500 dropout students nationwide, including transportation, school supplies, counselling, and reintegration support

SK Sungai Tiang participates in Program 3M for students who have not yet mastered the skills of reading, writing, and counting, where the intervention couldn’t have come at a better time.

They have 16-year-olds who can barely write, says headmaster Mohd Rezal Shuib.

The students here struggle with basic Malay – they only speak it when teachers talk to them. Their vocabulary is so limited that they can only give short answers.

Overcoming Geographic Isolation

The challenges are immense. During monsoon season, when water levels drop due to dam releases, the school becomes even more isolated.

A one-way boat trip to the mainland costs RM100.

Teachers sometimes carry food supplies on motorbikes from the riverbank when boats can’t reach the school.

Most parents are illiterate, leaving education entirely to the school.

There is no canteen; the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) provides meals, and students only need to bring their own plates.

Tailored Solutions Through RIMBA Module

PAK’s strength lies in its ability to adapt to local needs and requirements.

Rather than imposing uniform solutions, it responds to each school’s unique challenges through partnerships with three public universities and seven civil society organisations, monitored by Unit Pantau Madani under the Ministry of Finance until 31 December 2025.

At SK Sungai Tiang, the intervention pairs the school’s remedial teacher, Akimi Bin Aning from Gua Musang, with 19-year-old Asyikin Jefri, a local Jahai graduate who has been chosen as a “Guru Bitara” or mentor teacher.

Asyikin, who completed Form 5 at a nearby school, now earns RM1,800 monthly teaching math and Malay to her own community’s children using the specially developed RIMBA Module.

Designed for students in the “pemulihan khas” category, it focuses on reading and writing in Bahasa Melayu, as well as numeracy in Mathematics.

“UPSI gave me training before I started,” she says, referring to Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, which manages the 3M program in Perak.

Co-Teaching Model Shows Results

The co-teaching model provides two remedial classes weekly—one for Malay and one for mathematics.

Progress is tracked through the national MYSkor system, which includes interventions such as Smart TVs, tablets with educational apps, 3M modules, DAMAT kits (math checkers), and other specialised learning aids.

Across Perak, Program 3M reaches 3,513 students in 104 schools, supported by 50 Guru Bitara graduates – many of whom are from Orang Asli backgrounds themselves – working alongside 104 remedial teachers.

UPSI education graduates are given priority for deployment, with a ratio of one teacher to every two schools.

Building Confidence Beyond Academics

For secondary education, students must leave home first to SK Banun in Gerik until Form 3, then to boarding schools elsewhere for Forms 4 and 5.

“The students lack confidence. Some don’t even think they could visit cities,” Mohd Rezal notes.

The Jahai tribe is the least exposed to the outside world compared to other Orang Asli communities.

But there are signs of hope. The school now has internet access, connecting students to the wider world.

The program provides food twice daily to encourage attendance, alongside milk and meals under other government schemes such as the Supplementary Food Programme (Rancangan Makanan Tambahan or RMT).

A Model for National Change

PAK’s comprehensive approach, combining teacher capacity building, leadership training for school administrators, and technological support, provides crucial assistance for schools like SK Sungai Tiang, which has 17 teachers and four boatmen who transport staff and education officials.

“What’s working here shouldn’t be the exception,” the program document states. “It should become the model for systemic change across the country.”

All interventions are designed to complement and reinforce ongoing initiatives under the Ministry of Education, creating a holistic support system for Malaysia’s most vulnerable student communities.

For now, in classrooms overlooking Temenggor Lake, change comes one student at a time through Malaysia’s largest education intervention, proving what’s possible when support is thoughtful, localised, and community-driven.

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[Photos] Remote Orang Asli School Gets Lifeline Through National Education Program
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