For many of the Malaysian indigenous communities, the path to a better life is lined with obstacles — from limited access to education and healthcare to being excluded from decisions that shape their future.
Since 2021, RYTHM Foundation’s Community Adoption Programme (CAP) has worked with indigenous groups nationwide to close these gaps through early education, eco-livelihoods, and youth leadership.
Building on this, RYTHM hosted ‘Rimba Fest 2025’ ahead of World Indigenous Day this month. The gathering of indigenous leaders and beneficiaries, partners, and advocates celebrated culture, community-led solutions, and the power of culturally-grounded leadership.
Ending Indigenous Exclusion
A highlight of the event was a panel discussion on ‘Invisible Lives: How Documentation Gaps Affect Access to Healthcare,’ moderated by the Head of RYTHM Foundation, Santhi Periasamy.
The panel brought together voices from policy, grassroots development, government services, and community health: Aira Nur Ariana Azhari (of the IDEAS think tank), Merie Chen Mong Yi (the NGO DHRRA), Muhammad Asraf Sukadi (National Registration Department), and Rohaidah Holen (Gombak Orang Asli Hospital).
A separate session featured Malaysian advocates and researchers from education, social services, and academia sharing their on-ground experiences: researcher Datin Associate Prof Dr Thilagavathi Shanmuganathan, Leanne Hong (Good Shepherd Services), Zakiah Mohamad (SK Merting), Dr Zurina Mohd Radzi (Universiti Sains Malaysia), and Dr Mohamad Suhaizi Suhaimi (International Islamic University).
The overarching message of these exchanges was that recognition is not a privilege, but the starting point for survival, dignity, and equality for the affected communities.
“We don’t see ourselves as leaders of change, but as companions on the journey,” Santhi said of the work the Foundation and its partners put in.
“Every step is about walking with the community — honouring their voice, protecting their rights, and helping shape a future they choose.”
A Scalable Model for Change
Another highlight was the showcase of the Foundation’s Indigenous Development Programme (INDEP), a community-driven model for long-term development that now anchors CAP’s work.
INDEP is the next step in CAP’s evolution, offering a flexible framework and timeline for communities to adapt to their needs. It delivers programmes in literacy, youth leadership, eco-tourism, and digital empowerment for the Orang Asli and Orang Asal in West and East Malaysia.
Through INDEP, RYTHM aims for a future where indigenous communities have a voice and lead the conversation, shaping their futures with pride and purpose.
A Shared Journey with the Indigenous
In her closing address, Chairperson of RYTHM Foundation, Datin Sri Umayal Eswaran, stressed that actual progress leaves no one behind. “Development must be inclusive, or it is incomplete. Justice must run as deep as the roots of the rainforest. And that the true measure of a nation is how it treats its most marginalised.”
The Foundation’s work with the indigenous is not a short-term project but a shared journey. “Our work with Orang Asli communities is not a programme but a long-term promise. A promise to listen before we lead, to walk beside rather than ahead, and to uphold dignity as much as deliver support,” she added.
