On this day, a Penan woman from deep within Baram reminds us that protecting the rainforest also means protecting its people. This is her voice, her story, and her call to be heard.
‘If not me, then who?’ – A Penan voice from the rainforest
THE rainforest has never been just a backdrop in Colinna Radang’s life. It was her playground, her classroom, her radio station, her silence – and her struggle.
Today, as the world marks World Rainforest Day, the 31-year-old Penan woman from the interior village of Long Tepen in Pelutan, Baram, believes the conversation must shift.
For Colinna, it is no longer enough for others to speak about communities like hers – it’s time for those communities to be truly heard.
It began with a simple but powerful desire: to tell her own story.
She did not grow up dreaming of becoming a lawyer or a doctor. Instead, she just wanted to go to school, to write, and to speak – because she knew their stories were not being told by themselves.
A childhood deep in the forest
Long before Colinna ever set foot in a classroom, her world was the jungle. Her father worked in logging, and she often accompanied him into the forest. It was there, amid towering trees and rustling leaves, that she first found her footing in the world.
At night, with no electricity or television, children told stories over the radio. That was her window to the outside world.
“I once told my father I wanted to join one of those radio storytelling programmes. He had no idea where to even begin,” she laughed.
When the time finally came for school, it was her mother who walked her to the classroom. Colinna was excited – but she did not understand a word of Bahasa Melayu.
She only spoke Penan then, and had to ask for permission to go to the toilet in her own language. Fortunately, her teacher had been around long enough to understand her.
Despite the language barrier, she was determined. Her older brother, who lived in the school hostel, would bring back food to share with her. These small acts of love laid the foundation for her resilience.
“My father only studied up to Primary Three. But he always told me, ‘Never skip school, never be lazy’,” she said.
Even though her primary school was located in the village, she had to live in the hostel from the age of seven because her parents worked deep in the forest.
“From Primary One to Form Six, I lived in hostels. I didn’t have enough supplies – just three bars of soap, the cheapest toothpaste, a toothbrush, and no shampoo.
“I remember how my slippers would often go missing in the hostel dining hall. Sometimes, I had no choice but to wear mismatched ones or fix the broken pair using nails and bits of wood – just to make them last a little longer.
“Life at school wasn’t easy, but I learned to adapt,” she added.
Money was also tight. She had just RM20 to get through until the school holidays. Even though she disliked the hostel food, she never missed a single day of school.
“Getting to school was a challenge in itself – riding in a company truck with just two seats in the front, packed in for a two- to three-hour journey through blazing heat or pouring rain,” she recalled.
Later, at university in Perlis, the challenges did not end. One day, starving and out of money, she turned to her Bible for strength.
She read the verse: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’. That helped her hold on.
Colinna even borrowed money from friends to buy flight and train tickets home for the holidays. Once, after missing her train, she had to use what little she had set aside for meals to pay for a new ticket to the airport.
“Luckily, I had good friends from Sabah and Sarawak. They shared what little they had. We all did,” she said.
Writing back at the world
Now based in Miri – the state’s second-largest city – Colinna works as a writer for Suara Sarawak.
Through her writing, her conversations, and her unwavering presence, she has become a quiet but powerful voice for her community – telling stories that matter, challenging stereotypes, and reminding others that even the most remote voices deserve to be heard.
“The Penan are often judged based on old stereotypes. People say we’re still stuck in the past – but they never ask why,” she pointed out.
She began writing to correct misconceptions – not just about the Penan, but about how society tends to misunderstand marginalised groups in general.
Colinna has observed how people often trust hierarchy more than truth – choosing to listen to those in power, even if they have never set foot in Penan villages.
Still, she does not see herself as an activist. What drives her is not protest but principle – a belief in dignity and in the power of truth.
“I don’t write to pick fights. I write to say: this is our truth. This is who we are. You don’t have to agree. But you have to listen,” she emphasised.
Yet even as she speaks her truth, Colinna is often labelled as an “inspiring” Penan woman – a term that makes her uneasy.
She has made it clear that she does not want to be anyone’s token success story and cautions against putting people like her on a pedestal just to fit a convenient narrative.
What she wants instead is to be seen as a whole person – with convictions, complexity and agency.
“We’re not just here when you want to talk about the rainforest. We live here. We breathe this place every day,” she said firmly.
For Colinna, development is not something to reject – but it must come on terms that respect both the land and those who know it best.
“Sometimes outsiders come to ‘help’ without even understanding who we are. If you want to help us, start by listening to us,” she stressed.
The courage to speak
For Colinna, speaking up is not just a right – it is a responsibility. And her strength does not come from movements or hashtags. It comes from something older: her roots.
“I remember who I am. I remember my family. I remember my people. If not me, then who?” she pointed out.
She recalls her school’s counsellor once telling her, “Even if the whole world doesn’t believe in you, as long as you believe in yourself, that’s enough.”
That message stayed with her – and gave her strength.
Colinna does not only speak for the Penan. She speaks for anyone who has ever been sidelined, misrepresented, or told to stay silent.
“If you know you’re on the side of truth, speak. Even if your voice shakes. You might not change the whole world. But you might change one person’s day,” she said.
To young Penan girls, her advice is clear: “Being born female doesn’t mean you’re weak. Use your voice. Use your mind. Show the world what you’re capable of.”
And to those who still misunderstand her community, her message is just as direct: “Don’t forget where we come from. Build a future – but bring your culture with you. Those of us who’ve made it – don’t keep it to yourselves. Bring the rest with you.”
A voice from the trees
On this World Rainforest Day, when global conversations revolve around preservation, climate and biodiversity, Colinna offers a powerful reminder: the rainforest is not an abstract cause – it is home.
“We are part of the rainforest. If you want to protect it, protect us too,” she emphasised, closing our conversation.
After all, the forest is not silent. It has always had a voice.
And if the rainforest could speak, it might just sound like Colinna.
