Life in the OA Community

Subethnic group and geographic location are two major factors that shape the daily lives of Malaysia’s Orang Asli.

They are a close knitted community and then to live in the rural areas away from urbanisation. Many Orang Asli villages engage in subsistence agriculture, cultivating staple foods such rice, cassava, and vegetables and still use traditional methods of subsistence, such as hunting and gathering. They may engage in activities like hunting wild boar and deer and foraging for honey and rattan as well as at time catching butterflies to be sold to tourist.

Some of the arts that the Orang Asli excel in include weaving, woodworking, and basketry using natural resources that they may forage from the lands and these skills are frequently handed down from ancestors to offspring. The Orang Asli have a strong spiritual bond with the land and are committed to protecting it for future generations. Many also adhere to more conventional religious tenets and rituals.

One of the surprising truth is that they do not eat livestock that they rear but are allowed to sell it for income. Due to their rural location, lack of schools and the challenge of balancing schoolwork with subsistence tasks make it difficult for many Orang Asli youngsters to receive a higher education.