By Asmahanim Amir
Pictures from Prof. Madya Dr. Doris Padmini A/P S. Selvaratnam

BANGI, 24 September 2018 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) through the Faculty of Economics and Management (FEP) has been collaborating with the MCM GreenMan Group to build an Eco-Home Village at the Orang Asli Village, Kampung Kachau Luar (KKL), Semenyih.

The new project started its construction in April 2018 will have a reception office and 20 chalets.

According to Prof. Madya Dr. Doris Padmini A/P S. Selvaratnam, the resort is the first UKM project through FEP in helping Orang Asli generate their own income.

“This project is a new strategy to utilise the assets Orang Asli (land, culture and traditional skills) to create a sustainable business. It also enables the community to generate income to achieve their self-reliance goals,” she added.

The project development is planned in the condition that natural resources to be preserved whilst at the same time enhancing the socio-economy of the Orang Asli community.

“We will not cut the trees to build the chalet. For starting, we have built a chalet (for office and check-in) in April” she explained.

Dr Doris highlighted that the office was contributed by the MCM GreenMan Group and with their guidance, it was built by our students (UKM) from FEP, FKAB, FUU and FPI together with civil volunteers as well as Orang Asli KKL in three days.

Dr. Doris Padmini said the unique feature of this resort is that it uses a modular home building system that is environmentally friendly and has high durability.

“The Resort will be opened to the UKM community and the public for projects and living lab for learning, particularly om the nature, architecture, eco-friendly buildings, rainwater harvesting technologies, floating solar panel systems, waste management, resort management and entrepreneurship,” she said.

She said the installation is easy and fast and it is also a portable installation system. The cost to build a chalet unit was about RM40,000 to RM45,000.

“We are still open to outsiders, especially the industry interested to fund anything to build a living lab and resort,” she added.

She told recently, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd. has agreed to give funding to build the resort.

“For the contribution, an annual event which is 2018 Toyota Classics Concert, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment from London will hold in the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, KLCC on November 13.”

“The ticket sales will be donated as Toyota’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) to this project and another project undertaken by the University of Malaya.”

“So with this contribution, we hope the Eco-Home Village will run smooth and can realize the responsibilities of UKM to ensure the sustainability of Orang Asli in KKL,” she said.

Another strategic partners who also involved in this project is a Max Capital Management and AJM Planning and Urban Design Group Sdn. Bhd. Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) and Majlis Perbandaran Kajang also give a good cooperation with this project.

To those who want to give funding for this project can go to website https://ukmcrowdfunding.com/donation/kkl-eco-resort-donation/