ORANG ASLI IN MALAYSIA
Orang Asli (lit. "original people", "natural people" or "aboriginal people" in Malay) is a generic Malaysian term used officially for theindigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia. Officially, there are 18 Orang Asli tribes, categorised under three main groups according to their different languages and customs:
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Orang Asli
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Total population
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Regions with
significant populations
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Languages
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Religion
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Related ethnic
groups
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HISTORY
Orang Asli kept to themselves until the first traders from India arrived in the first millennium AD.[2] Living in the interior they bartered inland products like resins, incense woods and feathers for salt, cloth and iron tools. The rise of the Malay sultanates, coinciding with trade in Orang Asli slaves, forced the group to retreat further inland to avoid contact with outsiders. The arrival of British colonists brought further inroads in the lives of Orang Asli. They were targeted by Christian missionaries and became subjects of anthropological research.
Orang Asli kept to themselves until the first traders from India arrived in the first millennium AD.[2] Living in the interior they bartered inland products like resins, incense woods and feathers for salt, cloth and iron tools. The rise of the Malay sultanates, coinciding with trade in Orang Asli slaves, forced the group to retreat further inland to avoid contact with outsiders. The arrival of British colonists brought further inroads in the lives of Orang Asli. They were targeted by Christian missionaries and became subjects of anthropological research.
During the Malayan Emergency of 1948 to 1960, the Orang Asli
became a vital component of national security, as their help enabled the
Malayan army to defeat the communist insurgents. Two administrative initiatives
were introduced to highlight the importance of Orang Asli, as well to protect
their identity. The Department of Aborigines was established in 1950, and the
Aboriginal Peoples Ordinance was enacted in 1954. After independence,
development of the Orang Asli became a prime objective of the government, and
in 1961 a policy was adopted to integrate the Orang Asli into the wider
Malaysian society.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Malaysia
experienced a period of sustained growth characterized by modernization,
industrialization and land development, which resulted in encroachments on
Orang Asli land. In response to this encroachment, the Orang Asli mobilized and
formed the Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli Association (POASM), which has given
them a stronger voice and greater visibility. The Orang Asli are now known as
"Orang Kita" ('our people') following the introduction of the
"One Malaysia" concept by Najib Razak.
DEMOGRAPHIC
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3,507
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60,633
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49,401
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Total: 113,541‡
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‡ Excluding those living in designated
Orang Asli settlements which would amount to about 20,000 more people.
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In 2000, the Orang Asli comprise only
0.5% of the total population
in Malaysia. Their population is approximately 148,000.] The largest group are the
Senois, constituting about 54% of the total Orang Asli population. The
Proto-Malays form 43%, and the Semang forming 3%.
The poverty rate among Orang Asli is
76.9%. In addition to this high rate, the Statistics Department of
Malaysia has classified 35.2% of the population as being "hardcore
poor". The majority of Orang Asli live in rural areas, while a minority
have moved into urban areas. In 1991, the literacy rate for the Orang Asli was 43%
compared to the national rate of 86% at that time. They have an
average life expectancy of 53 years
(52 for male and 54 for female). A high infant mortality rate is also
evident with 51.7 deaths per 1000 births .
Lifestyle and religion
Orang Asli are traditionally animists, where they believe in the presence
of spirits in various objects.] However, in the 21st century,
many of them have embraced monotheistic religions such as Islam and Christianity following
some active state-sponsored dakwahby Muslims, and evangelism by Christian missionaries.
In June 2007, an Orang Asli church
was allegedly torn down by the government in Gua Musang, Kelantan. As of 2008, a suit has been filed
against the authorities. The affected Orang Asli also sought a declaration
under Article 11 of the Constitution
of Malaysiathat they have the right to practice the religion of their choice and to
build their own prayer house.
Negritos of Peninsular Malaysia
Main article: Semang
According to the Encyclopedia
of Malaysia, the Negritos, who number approximately 2,000, are regarded as
the earliest inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. They are of Australo-Melanesian
affinity and probably descend from the people of Hoabinhian cultural
period, with many of their burials found dating back 10,000 years ago. They
speak the Aslian languages which is part of theAustroasiatic language family, as do
their Senoi agriculturalist neighbours. Negritos belong to various subgroups,
namely the Kensiu, Kintak, Lanoh, Jahai, Mendriq and Bateq. Those from Perak, Kedah and Pahang are also known as Sakai, the meaning of "Sakai" is debt
slaves, while those from Kelantan and Terengganu were called Pangan, the forest
peoples. The Senoi and Proto-Malay arrived much later probably during the Neolithic period.
Social and legal status
The government agency entrusted to
oversee the affairs of the Orang Asli is the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang
Asli (Department of Orang Asli Affairs) (JHEOA). This body is under
the Malaysian Ministry of Rural Development, and it was first set up in
1954. Among its stated objectives are to eradicate poverty among the Orang
Asli, improving their health, promoting education, and improving their general
livelihood. There is a high incidence of poverty among the Orang Asli. In 1997,
80% of all Orang Asli lived below the poverty line. This ratio is extremely
high compared to the national poverty rate of 8.5% at that time.
Some legislations which concerns
Orang Asli are the National Land Code 1965, Land Conservation Act 1960,
Protection of Wildlife Act 1972, National Parks Act 1980, and most importantly
the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954. The Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 provides for
the setting up and establishment of the Orang Asli Reserve Land. However, the
Act also includes the power accorded to the Director-General of the JHEOA to
order Orang Asli out of such reserved land at its discretion, and award
compensation to affected people, also at its discretion. A landmark case
on this matter is in the 2002 case of Sagong bin Tasi
& Ors v Kerajaan Negeri Selangor. The case was concerned with
the state using its powers conferred under the 1954 Act to evict Orang Asli
from gazetted Orang Asli Reserve Land. The High Court ruled in
favour of Sagong Tasi, who represented the Orang Asli, and this decision was
upheld by the Court of
Appeal.
The Orang Asli are classified
as Bumiputras,] a status signifying indigenity
to Malaysia which carries certain social, economic, and political rights, along
with the Malays and the
natives of Sabah and Sarawak. However, this status is generally
not mentioned in the constitution.
The former Prime Minister of
Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad made controversial remarks
regarding the Orang Asli, saying that Orang Asli were not entitled more rights
than Malays even though they were natives to the land, he posted on his blog
comparing the Orang Asli in Malaysia to Native Americans in the US, Maoris in
New Zealand, and Aboriginals in Australia. He was criticized by spokespeople
and advocates for the Orang Asli who said that the Orang Asli desired to be
recognized as the natives of Malaysia and that his statement would expose their
land to businessmen and loggers.
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