Take A Glance on Orang Asli Community

Every community and place has their own culture. Being a teacher or school teacher requires us to know and get familiar with other cultures, especially the culture of our students and the place where we work. Have you ever imagine to work in Orang Asli village? Well, it is not impossible, right? It gonna be so interesting actually if we manage to adapt well with them.

Okay, just in case we get the chance to work with this community, I believe this post will help us a little bit later on. First and foremost, we need to get to know who Orang Asli are and what their cultures are.

Just to share, our instructor, Mdm Siti Kholijah brought my classmates and I to Orang Asli Museum in Gombak for educational visit to expose us with other culture. See, how learning process could be done in variety to allow us to learn non-stop.

This post is going to be very long because I think there are lot of things that I would like to share. Hope you could be able to bear with it. It is good to know. Get ready with pop-corn and cokes while reading.

HISTORY OF ORANG ASLI MUSEUM

Orang Asli Museum started in year 1987 at an old wooden building which was the official residence of former Director of Orang Asli Affairs Department (JHEOA). Later in year 1995 (end of 6th Malaysian Plan) the JHEOA official built a new brick museum at cost of RM 3.5 million. It was completed and hand-over to the JHEOA on 19th June 1998. The museum was officiated by the 11th Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah Alhaj on 2nd March 2000 and was known as the Orang Asli Museum.

OBJECTIVES OF ORANG ASLI MUSEUM ESTABLISHMENT

1.      To document the past of the Orang Asli as part of history.

2.      To collect all objects and materials significant to the culture and life of the Orang Asli from various tribes in Peninsular Malaysia for future generation.
3.      As source of research, ancient customs and tradition.

Okay, those are about the museum itself. It is good to know a little bit about its history and its objectives of establishment. Now we will focus more on the Orang Asli part. Who are they? What they do? What they play? What they wear? What are their beliefs? And many more. Let us get started.

1.      WHO ARE THE ORANG ASLI?

The Orang Asli is considered to be part of the natives of this country, Malaysia. In December 2010, their population is approximately 171 193 and they are divided into three main tribes which are Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malays (Aboriginal Malays). Each tribe is divided nto six smaller tribes and they speak different dialect, apart from the local Malay dialect.

(It will be explained further about these tribes in the next post later)

2.      WHAT ORANG ASLI WEAR AS CLOTHES?

Clothes are material used to cover the private parts of both the male and the female. Originally, their clothes were made of leaves and the outer layer of wood. Technology and development have existed for a long time in the Orang Asli and this is evident from the process of making clothes from wood with its very high artistic value.

3.      DO ORANG ASLI HAVE JEWELLERIES?

Jewelleries are used to attract the male and the female. Some jewelleries are made of roots, beads and flowers which are then designed to form bracelets, necklace comb and others.

4.      HOW ORANG ASLI HUNT TO SURVIVE?

The Orang Asli uses many different types of hunting weapons that are basically made of material available around them. The weapon includes blow-pipe, spears and traps. Fishing equipment includes ‘bubu’, ‘lukah’, ‘tuar’, and other. At present, these tools are still being used especially by the Orang Asli living in the remote areas.

 

5.      WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO ORANG ASLI PLAY?

Music forms part of their lives. It is used as a form of entertainment. Basically their music is produced using the instruments that need to be drummed, blown, violin-like and hit likethe ‘gong’, ‘centong’, ‘bamboo guitar’, ‘kreb’, ‘pensol’ and ‘centong-centong’.

 

6.      HOW ORANG ASLI GET MARRIED?

Yes, these Orang Asli also get married. They also have their own wedding ceremony. The Orang Asli have unique wedding rituals but at the same time, there are certain elements of their wedding rituals which are similar to the Malay wedding. For example, ‘merisik’, ‘meminang’. And the wedding rituals that are still being practiced by the Mah Meri in Kampung Tanjung Sepat, Selangor are ritualto get rid of bad luck, sharpen the teeth, set up mosquito net, colour the fingernails, the dancing ceremony and the ritual where they bathe the groom and bride.

7.      WOOD CARVING AND CRAFTS ARE ORANG ASLI PRODUCTS OF CREATIVITY?

Wood carving and crafts are the products of the Orang Asli creativity based on nature and their beleifs, especially in weaving of mengkuang and pandan leaves, bamboo and cane. In wood carving, all creation depend on imaination and dream that depict good or evil forces which are related to their believes and lifestyle.

8.      WHAT ARE ORANG ASLI BELIEFS?

Most of the Orang Asli still believes in the power of spirits who are said to be their source of help in time of need. Traditional medicine-men or witch-doctors act as a medium to communicate with the invisible power. This communication process is carried out during rituals on special days suc as ‘Puja Pantai’ for the Mah Merii, ‘Genggulang’ for the Semai. ‘Sewang’ for the Semai and Temiar and ‘Berjerom’ for the Jakun.

 

9.      WHAT IS SENOI PRAAQ?

Senoi Praaq is a term that means The Fighting People. It refers to the battalion of the Police Field Force (PPH) whose members are almost exclusively Orang Asli and was originally formed in 1957 to counter the influence of the communists insurgents on the Orang Asli community deep in the jungles of Malaysia. In 1968, the Senoi Praaq was absorbed into the PPH. The unit has two battalions, the Battalion 19 based in Pengkalan Hulu (formerly known as Kroh Camp) and the Battalion 20 baesd in Bidor Camp, Perak. Today, both battalions consists of 2,000 personnel and were known as the General Operations Force (PGA).

By knowing a little bit about Orang Asli community, hopefully it will be able to help us to deal with this kind of clients later on so that we manage to have effective counseling session. Just to be honest, knowing this community theoretically is not the same as knowing them through real life experience.