The Challenges of Managing Traditional Knowledge Related to Medicinal Plants among the Batek Community in Kuala Koh, Gua Musang, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

The potential value of medicinal plants from the tropical rainforest resulting from the utilisation of the traditional knowledge of indigenous communities is enormous. Despite this, the indigenous communities worldwide have not been benefited much from it. In Malaysia, much has been written among other things about the usefulness and value of the knowledge of the indigenous communities. Not much however, is made known especially on how the knowledge related to medicinal plants is being managed at the indigenous community level. The objective of this paper is to describe the challenges of managing the knowledge owned by the Batek Orang Asli in Kuala Koh, Gua Musang of the State of Kelantan, Malaysia. This study employs largely an ethnographic approach of data gathering. The findings of this study among others revealed that although there is still traditional knowledge related to medicinal plants possessed by the Orang Asli, the domain and custodianship of this knowledge has generally become smaller and weaker. So are the management practice of this knowledge whereby a number of challenges in managing the knowledge have been identified including the erosion of the knowledge over time and the reluctance of the younger generations to acquire it.