Orang Asli Perceptions toward Income Increment Program in Perak, Malaysia

Abstract

In Malaysia, one of the programs organized by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development to reduce hardcore poverty rates among the indigenous community of Orang Asli is the Income Increment Program (IIP). To ensure the program implemented is beneficial and accepted, the community's perception of the program is important to study. This study aims to identify the perception of Orang Asli participants towards the IIP, as well as to identify the socioeconomic status of the respondents. A total of 110 Orang Asli who participated in the IIP in the state of Perak, Malaysia involved in this study. Respondents were selected through a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using questionnaires through a self-administered procedure with minimal monitoring by the researchers. The study showed that the majority of respondents work in agriculture and farming as their primary source of income while collecting forest produce and rubber tapping as part-time jobs. Vegetable, calamansi, and banana plantations, as well as cattle farming, tilapia farming, and stingless bee farming, are among the IIP projects undertaken by the Orang Asli community in the state of Perak. Overall, the study revealed that the majority of respondents had a positive perception of IIP in all dimensions tested namely the perception toward the IIP objectives, perception toward the role of JAKOA, and perception of the advantages of IIP. The positive perception of IIP is one of the key indicators that will influence the participants’ involvement with this program in the long run. Future recommendations for current agricultural extensions such as IIP capture the significant fundamentals of the innovation systems perspectives to develop new technologies for smallholders that help the growth of crop yields and complete household food security. Therefore, responsible parties such as JAKOA should continue to play their role in encouraging and supporting this community so that they continue to be motivated, and open toward innovation, and strive to improve their socioeconomic status and quality of life.