Hutan Yek or My Forest came to fruition through a marriage of observances of nature, multiple conversations with friends from the Bateq community, and a vision to bring this melody to life.
The verses describe the experience of traversing the forest, looking at every element in awe and wonder. It attempts to help listeners view the forest in a different light – one where it is a sacred place filled with life, magic, mystery, culture, and stories of old. If one listens closely, one will hear some of the many sounds of Taman Negara, Pahang – from gibbon calls and bird chirps to splashes of water and Bateq speech.
The music takes on a more ambient route in the verses, allowing the natural sounds and vocals more prominence. This shifts with the addition of the percussion sounds in the chorus as the song gains momentum into an instrumental towards the end. Traditional elements such as the flute, gamelan, and drums are present; with an old Bateq tune on flute incorporated as the intro.
The song is sung predominantly in Bahasa Melayu with a few words in Bateq, including the first half of the chorus. Other words include gelaketok, wayatan, hengang, and kasak.
The first line of the chorus, ‘Haat nan, Sarok’ or ‘Let me pass, Sarok’ is a request for right of passage from a Sarok Bedeet (pronounced Bəde-et), a good forest spirit. It is followed by two lines that depict the jungle as a beloved home to the Bateq people.
The second half of the chorus warns us not to mock or kill any being. This stems from a Bateq belief that if one makes fun of the plants and animals in the forest or kills them for no good reason, a ritual must be done which includes the wrongdoer drawing some blood to be put into the fire for the Gubal (spirit of the skies) to forgive him/her.
As a whole, Hutan Yek is a bid to the peoples of the world to love and appreciate our forests’ beautiful landscapes and the life they sustain. It beckons all to never stop one’s inner child from marveling at the glorious beauty of nature, and it cautions us to never destroy the wondrous ecosystems in place as there will be unrivaled loss and repercussions to all of us.
