Colin Nicholas
Malaysian Teachers Introduce Islam to Orang Asli Kids
Some Malaysian teachers are attempting to convert the Semai and other Orang Asli children in their schools to Islam. According to a news report on July 27, two different experts who spoke at a round-table dialogue on the education of the indigenous children described the subtle ways that teachers use for introducing their religious beliefs […]
Chewong Fruit Gardens Help Wildlife [journal article review]
Researchers affiliated with the University of Nottingham observed at the beginning of February that Southeast Asian rainforests can be food deserts for wildlife, though the Chewong are making a difference for terrestrial mammals. The reason, the scholars reported in a journal article, is that the forests do not produce an abundance of fruits. The investigation […]
Problems with Orang Asli Education
The Chewong, Batek, Semai, and other Orang Asli (Original People) of Malaysia realize that their lack of education causes them some difficulties, but the reasons for the problem are debatable. The Malaysia Star on Sunday published an analysis of the issue. The statistics of Orang Asli successes in education are unimpressive—large numbers of students drop […]
Constitutional Guarantees in Malaysia for the Orang Asli
A national conference of Malaysian lawyers listened to arguments about the constitutional rights of the Orang Asli last week and, to judge by reports, they were enlightened, challenged, and amused. The printed program of the 14th Malaysian Law Conference, held from October 29 through 31 in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, indicated that the convention […]
Chewong Refuse to Move
The Star from Malaysia reported last week that a Chewong community has decided they would refuse to move from their current location despite the proposed construction of the Kelau Dam. The paper quoted a 25-year old villager named Manau to the effect that the elders of the community would not agree to move. He felt […]
Removing the Chewong Will Make Room for More Valuable People
Although a Chewong community in Malaysia is well above the flood level of a proposed dam, the government is going to remove the people from their traditional lands anyway. A five-minute movie, “Do They Have a Choice: The Chewong People of Kelau,” by San Hui, was released to the Internet on January 5 to explain […]
Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in Malaysia [unpublished paper review]
The Orang Asli, the Original People of Peninsular Malaysia, have linguistic, ancestral, and spiritual ties to the land that allow them to effectively manage and conserve their natural resources. The Semai, Batek, Chewong, and other Orang Asli peoples “live in areas that are rich in biodiversity,” according to Colin Nicholas, and outsiders, such as loggers, […]
