Orang Asli Museum

The department has set up the museum for Orang Asli which is situated at KM24, Jalan Pahang, Gombak, Selangor Darul Ehsan. The building was originally the home of the former Director to General of the Affairs. In 1995, construction of a new building for the museum began.  It was completed in 1998 and its was officiated by the King, His Majesty, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al Haj, on the 2nd of March, 2000.

 

Objectives

  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 a source of research.

Who are the Orang Asli

The orang Asli are considered to be part of the natives of this country.  There are about 116, 119, people altogether and they are divided into three main tribes which are the Negritoes, Senoi and the Proto Malay. Each tribe is devided into 6 smaller tribes and they speak different dialect, apart from the local Malay dialect.

 

Clothing

Clothes are materials 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.

 

Jewelleries

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

 

Music

Music forms part of their lives.  It is used as a form of entertainment.  It is also used in treating patients to accompany songs or religious rites given by traditional medicine-man or witch-doctors during treatment.  Basically, their music is produces using instruments that need to be drummed or hit like the "gong", blown like the "pensol" or violin-like instruments like "kentong-kentong".
 

The Wedding Ceremony Of The Orang Asli

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 like 'merisik' in which the groom's representatives inquire about the prospective bride's availability and willingness for marriage. ' Meminang' in which the groom's representatives formally ask for the prospective bride's hand in marriage and the wedding ceremony itself.  Some of the unique wedding rituals that are still being practised by the Mahmeri in Kampung Tanjung Sepat are rituals to get rid of bed luck, sharpening the teeth, setting up the mosquito net, colouring the fingernails, the dancing ceremony and the ritual where they bathe the bride and groom.

 

Wood Carving and Crafts

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

 

Beliefs

Most of the Orang Asli still believe 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 powers.  This communication process in carried out during rituals on special days such as 'Genggulang' for the Mahmeri, 'Sewang' for the Semai and Temiar and 'Berjerom' for the Jahut.

 

Blow-Pipe

Blow-pipe are the traditional weapon of the Orang Asli. Usually, they are made of bamboo and wood. The most suitable kind of bamboo for the body is the 'sewor' because of its structure and it can be found easily in the Peninsular.

 

The blow-pipe is actually made-up of two layers of bamboo.  The inside layer had a diameter between 1 to 2 cm.  The blowing point can be made of wood or the beak of a hornbill.  Both the blowing point and the body of the blow-pipe are usually decorated with attractive designs.  The 'traditional bullets' used together with the blow-pipe are soaked in poison extracted from either the 'Ipoh Tree' or a kind of plat called 'Streyehros Ganus'.

 

Hunting Tools

The Orang Asli use many different types of hunting weapons that are basically made of materials available around them.  The weapons include blow-pipes, spears and traps.  Fishing equipments includes 'bubu', 'lukah', 'tuai' and others.  At present, these tools are still being used especially by the Orang Asli living in remote areas.

Hunting and fishing are also part of their economic activities. Hunting is normally carries out only by the men. The tools that they need for hunting could be found in the forest. They hunt monkeys, wild boars, birds, squirrels and other small animals as their source of food.  Apart from blow-pipes, they also use traps.

 

Water Transportation

Water transportation used by communities living in the river edges, and lakes such as bamboo rafts, small boats.  These means of transportation are also used for fishing, hunting and other necessary transportation usage.

 

Traditional Economy

The traditional economy for the Orang Asli is farming for living as opposed to commercial farming.  Among others, they produce corn, bananas, sweet potatoes and various kinds of vegetables such as long beans, cucumber and ladies fingers.  The Orang Asli exchange food, services and other products amongs themselves and this was done based on sharing and the barter system. This economical system helped to foster a warmer kind of relationship among the