2. 2.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE ORANG ASAL IN MALAYSIA DEFINITION AND COMPOSITION OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN MALAYSIA The IP of Malaysia are collectively called the Orang Asal.9 They are composed of the aborigines (Orang Asli) of Peninsular Malaysia and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. Together, the Orang Asal makes up 13.8% of the total population of Malaysia. 10 (i) The Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia Article 160 (2) of the Federal Constitution 11 defines the Aborigines or Orang Asli to include the aborigines in Peninsular Malaysia, 12 who can be divided into three major groups, namely the Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malays. Each major group is divided further to comprise in total 18 sub-ethnic groups. 13 The Kensui, Kintak, Jahai, Lanoh, Mendriq and Bateq sub-ethnic groups make up the Negrito, while the Senoi includes the Semai, Temiar, Jahut, Che Wong, Mahmeri and Semok sub-ethnic groups. 14 The Proto-Malay consists of the Temuan, Semelai Jakun, Kanaq Kuala and Seletar sub-ethnic groups. Table 1 shows the composition of the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia in 2010. Among the three major Orang Asli groups, the Senoi make up the largest group at 54.9% of the total Orang Asli population, while the Proto-Malay forms 42.3% of the Orang Asli population. The Negrito forms a much smaller group, forming only 2.8% of the total Orang Asli population in Peninsular Malaysia. In total, the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia forms only about 0.06% of the national population. 15 Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), Report of the National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples, (SUHAKAM, 2013), v 10 Ibid. 11 Federal Constitution of Malaysia [31 August 1957] 12 Ibid., Article 160 (2) 13 Yahya bin Awang, The State of Indigenous Oral Traditions. Indigenous Oral Traditions of the Orang Asli, Malaysia’ By Yahya bin Awang, <http://mobile.asean.org/coci/files/Malaysia/Malaysia.pdf>accessed 31 July 2014 14 Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKLW) and Department of Orang Asli Affairs (JAKOA), Pelan Strategik Kemajuan Orang Asli (Bahagian Perancangan dan Penyelidikan JAKOA, 2011),19 15 Total population for Malaysia for 2010 is 28.3 million. Department of Statistics, Malaysia, Population Distribution and Basic Demographic Characteristics 2010 (DoS, 2010), 1 9 6

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