ORANG ASLI
LOCATION OF ORANG ASLI
Aboriginal ( Second largest group)
Senoi (Largest Orang Asli group)
Negrito ( Smallest category of the Orang Asli)
Lanoh
Mendriq
Jahai
Kintak
Batek
Jakun
Orang Kanaq
Semelai
Orang Kuala
Temuan
Orang Seletar
Jah Hut
Chewong
Temiar
Mah Meri
Semai
Semoq Beri
South Pahang and North Johor
Central Pahang and south Kelantan
Kedah- Perak Border
Kensiu
Northeast Kedah
Northeast Pahang and South Kelantan
Southeast Kelantan
North Central Perak
Northeast Perak and West Kelantan
Selangor dan Negeri Sembilan
East Johor
West and South Coasts of Johor
West and South Coasts of Johor
Northwest Pahang and South Perak
North Perak and South Kelantan
Central Pahang
Central Pahang
Coastal Selangor
South Central Pahang
BEFORE WWS
Munshi Abdullah in 1838 saw Jakun not only bringing resins, rattan and aromatic woos to trade with Malays, but also working in Malay gold mines.
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- Malay have been assimilated into the Malay communities- many have converted into Islam
The Senoi and the Negrotp jungle- dwelling, however, were more isolated from the outside world before WW2
This does not mean that the Semai and Negrito ha no contacts at all with other communities
There is ample evidence to show that particularly the Senoi obtained commodities such as salt, jungle knives and metal axe heads by selling or exchanging jungle produve in the form of rotan, jelutonh, bamboo and other items.
some of the more enterprising young men also worked from time to time as labourers in estates, tember sites or other enterprise.
The Orang Asli played an important orle in trade and government in region, and alliances with the Orang Asli were much sought after by the Malay settlers.
Besides forest produce, the Orang Laut with their diving and swimming skills, provide marine produce such as akar bahar, tripang
in some parts of the region, the Orang Asli had importand leadership roles and at times even oversaw Malay subjects
In N. Sembilan, the descendants of the Orang Asli, referred to as Biduanda Waris, held an esreemed position in the administration of the region from the 16th century
The timidity and isolation of the Orang Asli also reflected their deeoriited and justified fears of Malays, who explooited and oppressed the Orang Asli
Orang Asli as slaves:
Slavery - long history in South East Asia.
Widespreas in the Malay States in the 19th century
Slaves divided into the two main , classes of ordinary slaves (abdi) and debtor slaves ( orang berhutang )
Contact with Chinese:
chinese community in the Malay States had much less contact with the Orang Asli then did the Malays
Anumber of Chinese men married into Orang Asli communities, learnt their languages, and lived with the tribes
During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya
Many individuals and organisations took refuge in the hills and forests
Dec 1941 Feb 1942: Japanese invenders swept form Kota Bharu in the north to Singapore
Chinese members of armed political organisations and bandit gangs, the Malayab Communist Party (MCP), the Kuomintang or Chinese National Party ( KMT)
The jungle peoples also become targets for Communist propaganda, which was particularly effective coming from men they trusted particularly effective coming from men they trusted and whom they had known for years.
European tun-miners, colonial administrators, managers of rubber estates and, in some ceases, their female relations
Friendly contacrs made by many Chinese with the Orang Asli before the war became invaluable during the occupation.
Members of the MPAJA carefully nurtured friendships with the Orang Asli and they even went as far as to protect the jungle peoples from the attacks of bandits and Japaneses troops
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POST EMERGENCY PERIOD
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1960: emergency was declared over by the YDP Agong
Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli was formed
1957: Federation of Malata gained independence.
in 1961, the newly independent government, throught the Ministry of Interiior, published a "statement of policy regarding the administration of aborigine people of the federation Malaya
This doccument realfirms the new government's intention to contuue to protect and recognise Orang Asli rights.
EMERGENCY PERIOD (TODAY)
but despite theses, until today, the Orang Asli continue to be one the most marginalised groups in Malaysia
THE EMERCENCY PERIOD
The MCP faced the struggle with confidence based upon the support which they had organised, during the Occupation, among rural Chinese communities
The goverment interest in the Orang Asli was seen as a crutical matter of national security.
These crucial twelve years saw the challenge and defeart of the Communist forces which had rearmed and reorganised following their temporary denibilisation after the capitulation of Japan
For the first time, the Orang Asli were the main interest od the British administration
in 1950, this position was replaced with the appointed of a Federal Adviser basec under the folio of the member for Home Affairs
From 1947 to 1949, under the British Military Administrationm the welfare of the Orang Asli came under Administration of the Department of Social Welfare
The success of resettling the Chineses led the authorities to believe that much the same tactics could be used with the Orang Asli in order to deny their support to the Communists.
Thousands of Orang Asli reseltted into hastily prepared camps surrounded by barbed wire to prevent their escape. the OA struggled to adaot nentally and physically and mental and hundreds did not survive the experience
in the Bukit Betong resettlement camp in Pahang
After centuries of relative isolation they experienced considerable and often brutsl contsct eith warning factions of outsiders