The sweltering heat has driven a group of Orang Asli of the Semaq Beri tribe in Kuala Berang to leave their village for much cooler dwellings in the forest.

A villager, Hitam Keladi, 60, said leaving their homes in Kampung Sungai Berua to live in the jungles around Tasik Kenyir is a normal thing to do when the temperatures soar during the hot season.

Hitam along with 20 other families are...