Solar power installed at Johor Orang Asli village

KLUANG, 9 Dec 2021:

Yayasan Petronas has reached out to brighten the lives of the Kampung Orang Asli Berasau community by providing solar-powered electricity to the village.

A total of 11 houses, two cultural houses, and a community hall have been installed with solar power systems under the Sentuhan Harapan Mekar Johor@Kluang programme.

This programme is organised in collaboration with Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) Johor, Kampung Orang Asli Berasau and Yayasan Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM).

The aim is to enhance the livelihood and economic growth of the underprivileged communities through the provision of solar-powered electricity.

Sentuhan Harapan Mekar Johor@Kluang, under the flagship ‘Program Memampankan Ekonomi Asas Rakyat’ (Mekar), also supports Yayasan Petronas’ objective in promoting community well-being and development through long term sustainable advancements in the areas of socio-economic developments, healthcare, safety and living environments.

Located 50km from Kluang town, Kampung Orang Asli Berasau is the only settlement in Johor without access to the national grid. In the last 20 years, the community has been living in the dark, relying solely on diesel generators they shared amongst themselves for its 2-hour supply of electricity every day.

Under this solar initiative, each house now receives a basic electricity supply with batteries that can last up to three days during the rainy season, LED lamps, fans, and several USB ports for phone charging.

With solar-powered electricity, each household is able to save an estimated RM450 a month, reducing the financial burden the community has faced for many years.

In addition, one of the Rumah Adat has been provided with a freezer (a common freezer for all) equipped with an additional solar panel to ensure that it remains functional for the community. With this initiative, it benefits 70 villagers from 17 families aged four to 70 years old.

As part of this programme, the community was taught and trained to perform basic maintenance on the solar panels to ensure their efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, the solar power systems were inspected and verified by technical experts for safety.