The Senoi and the Negrito (jungle-dwelling) however, were more isolated from the
outside world before WW2

The Chinese community in the Malay States had much less contact
with the Orang Asli than did the Malays.

A number of Chinese men married into Orang Asli communities, learnt
their languages, and lived with the tribes.

• Dec1941 - Feb 1942: Japanese invaders swept from Kota
Bharu in the north to Singapore

Friendly contacts made by many Chinese with the Orang Asli before the war became invaluable during 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.

Members of the MPAJA carefully nurtured friendships with
the Orang Asli and they even went to jungle to protect themselves from Japanese and Bandit troops

It was reported that out of a population of 50,000, a
staggering 30,000 Orang Asli aided the communist guerrillas at one point during the Emergency period (Leary, 1995).

These crucial twelve years saw the challenge and defeat of the Communist forces, which had rearmed and reorganized following their temporary demobilization 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.

From 1947 to 1949, under the British Military
Administration, the welfare of the Orang Asli came under the jurisdiction of the Department of Social Welfare.

The success of resettling the Chinese 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.

After centuries of renative isolation they experienced considerable and often brutal
contact with warring factions of outsiders.

The Government, which formerly ignored
and neglected them, now took an active and extensive interest in Orang Asli welfare
and development.

Despite unfortunate episodes and bitter
experiences, the armed struggle of the Emergency brought much benefit to the jungle communities.

1957: Federation of Malaya gained independence

1960: Emergency was declared over by the YDP Agong

In 1961, the newly independent government, through the Ministry of Interior, published a "Statement of policy regarding the administration of aborigine people of the
federation of Malaya".

This document reaffirms the new government's intention
to continue to protect and recognize Orang Asli rights.

The document stipulated "the aborigine being one of the ethnic minorities of the Federation must be allowed on an equal footing from the rights and opportunities which the law grants to other sections of
the community".

In 2007, 36.2% of Orang Asli primary schoolchildren did not continue to secondary level.

• In 2007, a total of 7,029 Orang Asli children below age 12 had never been to school at all

Traditional lifestyle, culture, beliefs, interaction with modern world