ORANG ASLI
The Japanese Occupation
The emergency period
A heterogeneous group, they are widely dispersed in all states in Peninsular Malaysia except Perlis and Penang.
Before WW2
The largest Orang Asli population is found in Pahang
followed by Perak, Kelantan and other states
Orang Asli are traditionally animists and have their own customs and beliefs. They believe in the presence of gods and spirits.
Their world view is greatly influenced by nature. As such, they believe forests, mountains, hills, lightning and others have their own meaning in the universe.
Orang Asli rarely ventured out of their jungle communities apart from the occasional trip to trade.
contact with Chinese
1.Dec1941 - Feb 1942: Japanese invaders swept from Kota Bharu in the north to Singapore
✨Many individuals and organisations took refuge in the hills and forests.
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Proto-Malays – close contact with the Malays for hundreds of years
• There is evidence to show that many modern Malays have some Proto-Malay blood
• Many Proto-Malays have been assimilated into the Malay communities – many have converted into Islam
• The Senoi and the Negrito (jungle-dwelling), however, were more isolated from the outside world before WW2
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E.g. European tin-miners, colonial administrators, managers of rubber estates and, in some cases, their female relations.
Chinese members of armed political organisations and bandit gangs, the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), the Kuomintang or Chinese National Party (KMT)
Friendl ycontacts made by many Chinese with the Orang Asli before the war became invaluable during the Occupation
The jungle peoples also became targets for Communist propaganda, which was particularly effective coming from men they trusted and whom they had known for years.
InreturntheOrangAsliaidedtheCommunistforcesby providing porters, guides, food and intelligence on Japanese movements if the latter should venture into deep jungle.
Group and Location
1948-1960
These crucial twelve years saw the challenge and defeat of the Communist forces which had rearmed and reorganised following their temporary demobilisation after the capitulation of Japan.
The MCP faced the struggle with confidence based upon the support which they had organised, during the Occupation, among rural Chinese communities.
The Government responded to this state of affairs by resettling 500,000 (mainly) Chinese "squatters" under the provisions of the Briggs Plan, and by the end of 1953 it was claimed that the majority of these squatters had been moved to what came to be known as New Villages.
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After centuries of relative isolation they experienced considerable and often brutal contact with warring factions of outsiders.
• Despite unfortunate episodes and bitter experiences, the armed struggle of the Emergency brought much benefit to the jungle communities.
• The Government, which formerly ignored and neglected them, now took an active and extensive interest in Orang Asli welfare
Post-emergency period
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But despite these, until today, the Orang Asli continue to be one of the most marginalised groups in Malaysia.
• Orang Asli
• 50% of households live
below the poverty line
• 19% considered hardcore poor
• National poverty rate • 3.8% poverty
• 0.7% hardcore poor
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Education
Health
Development
The Chinese community in the Malay States had much less contact with the Orang Asli than did the Malays.
• This was due to the concentration of Chinese in urban centres and tin-mining districts.
• Some Chinese traders, cultivators and timber workers did, however, have dealings with the jungle people and it seems that the relationships established were generally friendly and mutually advantageous.
• A number of Chinese men married into Orang Asli communities, learnt their languages, and lived with the tribes.