A one-day trip out could at least bring a RM50 profit home. And times are often hard, especially to those who have moved there the earliest. The danger is that their 3 acres of land today may not be able to withstand rice cultivation continuously. Should there be poor rice yield and other food shortages in the future, the occurrence of malnutrition and hunger in Asap is certain. Asap, Koyan and Penyuan, upriver tributaries of Belaga, cannot sustain under the population pressure.
Fish is scarce.
Soon, it would not be suitable for drinking, washing and bathing. Untreated sewage effluents flow into them. The surrounding oil palm plantations may further pollute the waters with pesticides and pollutants. Hence the scarce fish resource may soon vanish altogether. They no longer can gather, farm, fish, weave, heal, plan and participate in cultural events.