PLANTS AND MAN
Plants have provided for human needs since man first appeared on earth. Prehistoric man gathered plant material from his surroundings for food, to make tools and to build shelter. As man became more socialized and his life more sedentary, he began, through trial and error, to select, introduce and cultivate various types of useful plants in and around his settlement areas. Today, man still cultivates plants to serve his needs, except that in addition to traditional farming methods, he also employs sophisticated technologies to harvest and exploit plant resources.
In Malaysia, both native and introduced plants and their products are utilized for a variety of purposes. Different groups of aboriginal people, for example, gather many wild plant species and plant parts from the forest to meet their subsistence needs. Fruits, tubers, leaves and young shoots are consumed as food, while bamboo, rattan and timber serve as building materials and are used for making tools. Bamboo, as well as palm leaves, bark, wood and resins, is used for making household utensils. Villagers not only collect firewood but also convert the wood of some tree species into charcoal to supplement their fuel requirements. Certain forest products, such as timber and rattan, are also harvested in large quantities for industrial and commercial purposes. In traditional medicine, many species of native and introduced—but naturalized—plants are widely used in the preparation of decoctions, poultices, salves and tonics.
There are numerous exotic plant species that have been introduced to Malaysia specifically for the purpose of establishing large-scale agricultural, horticultural and industrial plantations. Malaysia's most prominent industrial crops are oil palm and rubber trees, introduced from tropical Africa and Brazil respectively. In the agricultural sector, plant species that produce commercially important fruits, vegetables and spices have been introduced and successfully cultivated in orchards and farms across the country. Other useful crops, such as rice, tapioca, tea, coffee and cocoa, have also been introduced. Introduced plants that have ornamental and horticultural value include begonias, bougainvilleas, heliconias, lilies and some orchids as well as temperate plants such as dahlias and roses that are grown mainly in the Cameron Highlands.
Being an ethnically diverse country, Malaysia is rich in tradition, culture and religion. During important social occasions, such as the birth of a child, the marriage of a couple or the death of a member of the community, certain plants and plant parts are used ceremonially. In addition, the branches, stems, roots, flowers, leaves, fruits and seeds of certain plants are used to make a variety of handicraft products, such as baskets and mats.
