Transformation of Aboriginal communities towards the regional development of Iskandar Malaysia

Abstract

Natural resources have been home to the Aboriginal communities for hundreds of years. However, modernizations have transformed the natural resources into an urban area that changed the livelihood of an indigenous community. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impacts of regional development towards Aboriginal communities in Iskandar, Malaysia. Kampung Simpang Arang was selected as a case study. Kampung Simpang Arang is located in southeast Iskandar Malaysia, where the majority of the community was the Seletar tribe. The Seletar tribe is one of the earliest aboriginal communities settled as indigenous coastal communities. This village is selected due to its location within a 15 kilometres radius of high-impact projects such as Tanjung Pelepas Port, Legoland and Tuas Checkpoint. A total of 50 Aboriginal people in the village were involved in the household survey. The findings highlighted that the economic structure has developed from just fisheries and collecting forest products to the industrial sector. Other regional impacts identified towards the Seletar community are improved infrastructure, education, possession and health care and the low youth migration rate. Therefore, this study contributes to understanding the repercussions of regional development in Iskandar Malaysia on the socioeconomic structure and quality of life of the Seletar tribe, informing future policies and actions to address the needs and challenges.