A Job That Has a Touch of Green

Fashion co-ordinator, spare parts salesman, accounts assistant, adventure guide. What could they possibly have in common? Their surprising choice in vocation — nature guiding. Miles away from the glittering fashion runways of the capital but still stylishly dressed in casual chic, Sahak Bah Udal has come to learn how to sell Malaysia’s green heritage to the world. “I live in the shadow of Cameron Highlands, surrounded by jungles yet I don’t know anything about plants or animals,” admits the 35-year-old, blushing a little. In Sahak’s Semai village of Ulu Geroh — an Orang Asli settlement near Gopeng in Perak — there is a committee on business and eco-tourism which he heads. So attending the recent nature guiding course in sleepy Kuala Selangor has been as much about setting an example as it has been about learning new skills.