A View of Bukit Lagong Retreat with Bukit Lagong in the background
In 1989 I started a fish culture venture in Selayang with five Orang Asli an we started business about six months later. Our primary business at that time was fresh water fish farming. Fourteen ponds were dug of various sizes and with the help from the Fisheries Department Keli ( african catfish ) fries, lampam ( freshwater carp ) and tilapia were released in the ponds. By three months the keli was ready to be harvested from two of the ponds They were of the right size of 250 gm each. A wholesaler was introduced by the fisheries department who came and inspected the fish and the ponds. He said he would come back in a week’s time to collect the fish with proper transport. After a week we waited but he did not turn up. A few days went past but we still failed to contact the wholesaler. We still had to feed the fish and the cost of maintaining the fish was piling-up. Very soon the fish will be difficult to sell because it will be too big and will command a lower price. The wholesaler eventually turn up about a month late and told us a lot of excuses. He said that he had just bought a batch of the same size keli for much cheaper and offer our fish for much below the market price. If we were to accept , we would run at a great loss and if we don’t we would loose more.
Angry and disappointed at the wholesaler we decided not to sell the fishes. Everyday after that during feeding time we watch the fish gathering and rushing to be fed. We had to reduce their food to save further costs. We called the fisheries department and discuss our problem. Apparently this is one of the usual tricks of wholesalers. The department suggested that we open the ponds for fishing instead.
So that is how Bukit Lagong Retreat began as a tourist destination manned by me and Orang Asli. Although we received approval form the state government to further develop the land, the approval was later revoked in 2002. We are still appealing against the decision and we have decided that the matter will be settled in the court of law.
By the time we closed Bukit Lagong Retreat after 13 years of operation we had five chalets, two dormitories, a restaurant, a craft shop and eight fishing ponds. More than 300 Orang Asli benefited during those years in terms of training and job opportunities.
