On 27 November 2025, many heartbreaking incidents occurred in Kampung Jader Lama, Pos Simpor in Kelantan. A group of wild elephants encroached into Orang Asli cultivation areas and destroyed the main food source of its residents.
Among the crops destroyed were cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, papaya trees, and banana plants, subsistence crops that form the backbone of the community’s daily survival. For our community, this destruction is not merely the loss of crops, but the loss of food supplies, livelihoods, and a sense of safety on our own land.
This is not an “Elephant Problem”, this is a logging problem
Elephant attacks such as these are often labeled as a human-wildlife animal conflict. However for us in the forest interiors, the cause is clear: unbridled logging and developments have encroached upon elephant habitats.
When forests are cleared, elephant migration routes are cut off and their natural food sources disappear, forcing elephants out of the forest and into village areas.
Orang Asli and Asal villages, like ours, are usually located closest to forested areas, placing us on the front lines of bearing the consequences when elephant habitats are destroyed. Elephants do not “attack” without reason, they are searching for food and ways to live that have been taken away from them.
Compounding impacts on the community
The destruction of crops in Kampung Jader Lama occurred while the community was already under pressure from the monsoon season, flooding, and severed road access. With aid difficult to reach the area, and forest resources increasingly depleted due to logging, the elephant incursions add yet another layer to the crisis.
Residents are now facing a food shortage, loss of daily income sources, and safety risks, particularly for women, children, and the elderly. More worryingly, such incidents are likely to recur as long as forests continue to be cleared.
Our Demands
On the basis of justice and community safety, we call for:
- An immediate investigation by the authorities into elephant incursions in affected villages, such as Kampung Jader Lama.
- A comprehensive assessment of losses and the provision of emergency assistance to affected residents.
- Long-term mitigation measures to manage human–wildlife conflict, rather than temporary solutions.
- Recognition and protection of Orang Asli and Asal Customary Lands and Territories as a fundamental step to safeguarding elephant habitats and preventing encroachment caused by uncontrolled logging and development.
Protecting forests means protecting lives
As long as logging continues unchecked, conflict between humans and elephants will persist, and Orang Asli and Asal communities will remain the most affected victims.
Protecting forests is not only about environmental conservation, it is about food security, dignity, and the right to life of Orang Asli and Asal communities. If elephant habitats are protected, our villages will also be safer.
This issue must be given serious attention, not tomorrow, not after the next tragedy, but now.
Syafiq Dendi is a representative of the Kelantan Orang Asli Village Network.
