Perceptions Toward Nature

In fact, the Malay and Talang Mamak people have already posses a basic concept of conservation. Even these people have traditional spatial planning concepts. The border between one village and an adjacent one is well managed. In determining areas they will refer to the saying 'Cucur Ayik Sinding Pematang' meaning that rivers, streams and drainage ditches make the best and least problematic boundaries.

They also recognize a 'puaka' or sacred forest which is believed to be the place of their ancestor's spirits. In several villages it is possible to find 'Sialang' trees where honey bees are making their nests to produce honey. Cutting a Sialang tree is regarded as being the second most serious crime after murdering people. If a Sialang tree is cut down, people will perform a ritual as an atonement to the spirits of the dead tree. The culprit who has cut the tree will be heavily fined by providing many lengths of long white cloth. Sialang has social and economic importance as the honey generated will go to every level of people in the community, often yielding many tons of honey and much money over the course of its natural life.

The Old Malays and Talang Mamak base spatial management on the saying 'tindik dabu, lupak pendanauan, sialang pendulangan, cucur ayik sinding pematang', meaning that everything should be based on adat/tradition and in order to maximize access to resources. In this way rivers are protected to provide fish, sialang protected to provide honey, and village boundaries are based on rivers or drainage systems.