SMAR Nurul Hidayah Empowers Religious Education of Orang Asli

Sekolah Menengah Agama Rakyat (SMAR) Orang Asli Nurul Hidayah opens a new chapter in the education of the Orang Asli community by becoming the first religious secondary school specifically for this community in the country.

Operating in Kampung Kenang Baru, Sungai Siput, Perak, the institution combines religious and academic education to produce a knowledgeable and competitive generation of Muslim Orang Asli.

Its principal, Meor Rozman Kamarun Ariffin, said SMAR, which was legally registered in April 2013, is a continuation of Sekolah Rendah Agama Rakyat Orang Asli (SRAROA) Nurul Hidayah, which was officially registered in November 1997.

He said both institutions now operate in tandem, with SRAROA providing education at the primary level, while SMAR continues learning at the secondary level.

“Initially, this school was established as a medium of dakwah for the Orang Asli community, especially new converts, so that they would receive deeper religious guidance. However, now the focus has expanded by combining religious and academic education,” he told BH.

He said before SRAROA was established, Fardu Ain and Fardu Kifayah studies were conducted informally through Orang Asli Al-Quran and Fardu Ain classes in village suraus managed by Orang Asli Islamic missionaries appointed by the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk).

“After being registered in 1997, SRAROA integrated the Basic Fardu Ain Class (KAFA) curriculum of the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (JAKIM), besides registering students to sit for the KAFA Assessment Test (UPKK) and Integrated Religious Primary School (SRAI) examinations.

“In 2002, advanced Fardu Ain study classes began with nine pioneer students, and the total number of SRAROA students and the programme increased to 321 by 2008 before it was discontinued in 2014 following the upgrading of this institution to a secondary school,” he said.

Meor Rozman said SMAR now has 148 secondary students attending the morning session, while the afternoon session involves 144 students for KAFA studies.

He added that the main entry requirement is that students must be of Orang Asli descent and Muslim, besides priority given to families in the B40 category.

“Of the 148 current secondary students, 95 live in the hostel, while the rest commute from nearby villages.

“Around this school, there are about eight Orang Asli villages, and there are students who come daily, while those from outside the Sungai Siput district mostly stay in the hostel,” he said.

He said the school is open to Muslim Orang Asli children throughout Perak, besides also accepting a small number of students from outside the state.

“Student intake is done through social media announcements, besides cooperation with schools around Kuala Kangsar as well as the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA), which also helps channel some financial assistance to students,” he said.

Funded by zakat

Meor Rozman said the establishment of SMAR reflects the commitment of the Perak Islamic Religious Council and Malay Custom (MAIPk) in expanding access to religious education for the Orang Asli community in a more systematic manner.

Through zakat funds, MAIPk financed the construction of a new school complex comprising academic blocks, hostels, surau and canteen at a total cost of RM4.2 million, besides bearing the annual operational cost of RM2.5 million for 2026.

He said SMAR Nurul Hidayah has now grown as a progressive educational institution, having successfully produced students who sit for public and religious examinations including SPM, Thanawi and I’dadi.

He said the school’s role has also been expanded through the establishment of the Orang Asli Advanced Fardu Ain Academy (ALFA) in November 2024 to provide religious studies for school leavers, whether single or married.

“In terms of curriculum, SMAR Nurul Hidayah emphasises public examination-oriented education, particularly SPM, using a curriculum coordinated by the JAIPk Education Division and the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM),” he said.

Earlier, the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, at the recent opening ceremony of the school, decreed that the establishment of SMAR Orang Asli Nurul Hidayah is an important milestone in empowering human capital development and Islamic education among the Orang Asli community in Perak.

Berita Harian