There's no place like home...

Just 16 km in Gombak from the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's modern capital lies an enclave of the country's Orang Asli (local tribe), constitutionally the original settlers of the country. Despite massive government assistance in all fields so that they can at least be on par with the rest of the country's ethnic races , they remain the 'jungle people' at heart. 

The house of the Gombak village headman

His son at the balcony

The back portion of the house with piped water from a nearby stream

The wild orchid nursery which he cultivated. When it blooms together, it's massively beautiful

His daughters back from preschool classes

Durian. The most famous fruit in Malaysia, and perhaps in S.E. Asia. Durian trees surrounded his house.and you will be served this if it happens to be in season.

A baby monkey. The Orang Asli can keep any wild pet they like without having to obtain a licence - by virtue of its privilege in Malaysia.

The traditional bamboo-and-wooden jungle house of the Tok Batin (tribal headman) is not what you would expect in modern Kuala Lumpur, though most of them has been offered modern concrete houses with electricity and piped water. However, the headman says it is home, and he is comfortable with it and the secondary jungle surrounding his house - at least for the tribe in Gombak. While he is currently building another house - a concrete one about 50 meters away - this one will always be his home.