As mentioned in the preceding section, one such reason for skipping classes is when the school holidays do not coincide with the Orang Asli’s preferred time for such holidays—such as during the rice harvest or during the annual fruit season. While these events are applicable for the more traditional Orang Asli who still depend on the subsistence economy for most of their basic needs, and this number is on the decline, the Orang Asli schoolchildren from this sector represents a significant number of those Orang Asli dropping out of school early. However, Orang Asli children experience breaks in their schooling (i.e. long absences from classes) for other, easily avoidable reasons. The most common is the non-availability or the removal of the transport services from their homes to the school. We have had numerous complain from Orang Asli parents about irregular, or sometimes complete stoppage, of transport services that their children’s education are affected. Transport service contractors, for their part, complain that payments from the JHEOA are slow in coming, sometimes taking as long as 4 to 6 months. In some instances, these contractors have told Orang Asli parents that the JHEOA had withdrawn the allocations altogether. However, even when there are allocations, the fault frequently lie with the transport contractors. I remember going to the Temuan village in Ulu Batu before noon and day and saw the children busily finishing their homework before changing into their school uniforms. When I came back to this house a few hours later I was surprised to see the children in their normal clothes. When asked why, they said that their school van did not turn up again. In the Chewong village in Kuala Gandah, the old rickety bus owned by the transport contractor broke down. It was not repaired for four months, and neither was a alternative mode of transport sourced. So for four months (i.e. until the end of the school year), none of the children went to school. With all schoolgoing children having missed much of their lessons, it is not surprising that many of them did not continue school the following year. 60 ORANG ASLI – RIGHTS, PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS