Sinui Pai Nanek Sengik (New Life One Heart)

Sinui Pai Nanek Sengik, in Semai language, means New Life One Heart. SPNS is an informal group of orang asli (aborigines) individuals based in Kampung Chang Lama, Bidor, Perak, started by Tijah Yok Chopil. The present head of SPNS is Ridzuan while Tijah remains as an adviser.

Our objectives
* To provide guidance to orang asli communities in being independent and to encourage them to take responsibility for their own future
* To instill the importance of education
* To instill awareness amongst the orang asli women of their rights and help them become more independent

It was 1986 when it all started, with Tijah giving tuition lessons to the children of Kampung Chang Lama. From working alone, Tijah has over time managed to garner the support of her fellow villagers and with the help of a few of them, SPNS was formed in 1997.

From those simple beginnings, SPNS now has projects with other orang asli villages in the nearby States. SPNS now handles several issues, from something as practical as starting a savings scheme for a village to helping the other villages start a kindergarten to organising discussion groups amongst village headmen (tok batin).

Our services

SPNS now runs a kindergarten in Kampung Chang Lama to cater for the village children who are too young to enroll into the government sponsored Tadika KEMAS. The kindergarten is also a care centre for Tadika KEMAS students after school and while their parents are away working.

At the same time and at the invitation of other orang asli villages, representatives of SPNS help them on similar issues. SPNS’ activities now cover 10 orang asli villages in Perak having started Youth Groups in the villages in and round Batang Padang, two in Negeri Sembilan, one in Pahang (Cameron Highlands) and three in Johor.

Most of SPNS’ activities are funded from the shared income of Kampung Chang Lama, the participating villages and the small profits made from a simple provision shop set-up within the village.

Our needs

SPNS has received valuable support from friends to whom they are very thankful for. They have requested HATI to express on their behalf, their heartfelt gratitude to these friends of SPNS. As the work of SPNS is a long-term one, SPNS will continue requiring support to run its activities. At present SPNS is overseeing several projects undertaken by the youth and women of participating orang asli villages. Assistance on a project basis would be ideal.