Books for the Orang Asli

A book sale in a flea market at Holland Village in Singapore is set to contribute two big boxes of books to several Orang Asli villages in Malaysia soon.

In a bid to help underprivileged indigenous Malaysian villages lacking in education material, Mari Kita Membaca (MKM) members embarked on a book sale on one of Singapore’s busiest streets.

Armed with books donated largely by the staff of the National University of Singapore and several Singtel employees, MKM members managed to raise some S$400 from the sale.

“This sale is enough to contribute two big boxes of books to the Orang Asli villages,” said MKM member Shi Hsia, a scientist at a Singapore biotech company.

MKM is a project set up by a group of Malaysians, which provides books for newly set-up pre-school and elementary schools in indigenous villages.

“Teachers in these villages often complain of the lack of books in the home,” said Malaysian anthropologist Rusaslina Idrus, who is currently a visiting fellow at a research institute in Singapore.

“We do fundraising and we try to bring the villages story books in particular. Story books are a luxury in these villages,” added the PhD candidate at Harvard University.

Those interested in participating in MKM activities can find out more at www.marikitamembaca.org or write to [email protected] for details, or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/kawan kawan#!/pages/Kawan-Kawan-Mari-Kita-Membaca/129527197099892