Batek people

Last updated
Batek people
Orang Batek / Bateq
Keluarga suku Bateq 167.jpg
A Batek family
Total population
1,359 (2010) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia (Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu)
Languages
Batek language, Malay language
Religion
Traditional religion and significant adherents of Islam, Christianity and Buddhism.
Related ethnic groups
Semang (Jahai people, Lanoh people), Negritos (Maniq people, Philippine Negritos, Andamanese)

The Batek (or Bateq) people are an indigenous Orang Asli people (numbering about 1,519 in 2000 [2] ); belonging to the Semang group, who live in the rainforest of peninsular Malaysia. As a result of encroachment, they now primarily inhabit the Taman Negara National Park. The Batek are nomadic hunters and gatherers, so the exact location of their settlements change within the general confines of the area that they inhabit. [3]

Contents

The common phrase used to refer to them, 'orang asli', signifies a diverse group of which the Batek tribe is a part. It means 'original people' in Malay and was probably first used to identify these people by the British. The Batek, however, refer to themselves as 'Batek Teh', which means "forest people". [4] The Malay Srivijaya empire came in contact with the Negrito. Historically they traded with the local populations while other times they were subjected to exploitation, raids, slavery, paying tributes to the Malays. For more than a thousand years, some Negrito tribes from the southern forests were enslaved and exploited until modern times while others remain in isolation and avoided contact. [5]

The Batek people were first documented by Europeans in 1878, when explorer-naturalist Nicholai Miklukho-Maklai of Russia wrote about them. [6]

Until about 1970 much of inland peninsular Malaysia was difficult to reach for the purposes of logging, so the Batek were widespread throughout that region. Since it is now possible to harvest the trees in that region, the Batek are largely confined to Taman Negara National Park and the surrounding region. [7]

Population

The Batek population more than doubled from 530 in 1960 to 1519 in the year 2000. The official census of the Batek population is as follows:

Year1960 [8] 1965 [8] 1969 [8] 1974 [8] 1980 [8] 1993 [9] 1996 [8] 2000 [10] 2003 [10] 2004 [11] 2010 [1]
Population5303395015857209609601,5191,2551,2831,359

These figures include several Batek sub-groups. Ethnographic researchers have recognised several Orang Asli sub-groups that are commonly called 'Batek', including the Batek De' (dɛˀ), Batek 'Iga' (ˀigaˀ), Batek Teh (təh), Batek Tanum (tanɨm) (also known as Mayah), [12] and the Batek Nong (nɔŋ). [4]

Language

The Batek language belongs to the Eastern Jahaic sub-branch of Aslian languages which is part of a wider Mon–Khmer language family. [13] Batek's closest linguistic relatives Jahai and distantly related to other Aslian languages. Despite being a small language, it has quite a number of dialects namely Teq, Iga, Deq and Nong, with the latter two probably considered distinct enough to be separate languages. Batek is mostly an oral language with few written records, but it is usually written in a modified Latin alphabet.[ citation needed ]

Way of life

Batek houses in Taman Negara, Malaysia Rumah suku Bateq di Taman Negara 138.jpg
Batek houses in Taman Negara, Malaysia

The Batek normally live in familial groups, in tents and lean-tos, with about 10 families forming an encampment. Each encampment generally has control of the land immediately around it, but since the Batek do not believe in the concept of private land ownership, the encampment considers it to be the caretaker of the land, rather than its owner. Also since they are nomadic once most of the usable wild plant resources have been depleted from a given location they will move to another spot, within their habitat. [14]

The Batek economy is very complex, with some things such as land, having no right of ownership. Somethings where there is a personal property right, but social norms dictate that it be shared with the entire society such as food that is found by foraging. There are some things that are considered personal property, such as a man's blowgun, or a women's hair combs. [15]

Batek are a peaceful society. If a member of the group has a conflict with another member of the group they will discuss the matter privately. If that does not end the disagreement, each will publicly share their side of the argument in an attempt to have other members of the camp suggest a resolution. Since each adult member of the camp is equal, there is no internal leader or adjudication system so one or both of the aggrieved parties will leave the camp until cooler heads prevail. [14] [16]

Sharing

Batek people bathing in the Tembeling River, Pahang, Malaysia Mereka mandi di Sungai Tembeling 148.jpg
Batek people bathing in the Tembeling River, Pahang, Malaysia

It is a moral obligation for Batek to share food they have acquired. Normally the person who harvests the food item will first give to their immediate family, then their extended family and finally the rest of the camp. If everyone is giving to everyone else, a family who is down on their luck will still have food to eat, although not as much as if they harvested it themselves.

Since the hunting and butchering of meat causes a large amount of food to enter the camp at once, there is a more formal and ritualistic way of dividing it, for example with a monkey, first the members of the hunting party eat the offal and tail, because they cook the fastest, then the cooked meat is divided into about 13 parts, so that each family in the camp gets some, with the portions adjusted according to the size of the family.

The Batek do not consider this sharing of resources to be an act of kindness, they believe that all food items belong to the forest, so that the person who happens to be in possession of food has a moral obligation to share it. Since the dwellings are open, it is impossible to hoard food without others knowing about it. Since selfishness is prohibited, it would not be considered stealing for another member of the camp to take food away from someone who was hoarding, if the taker was hungry. [17]

They feel an obligation to give when they are asked for something. This feeling is reinforced by their belief that to refuse a request can cause super-natural harm to the person who was refused and by their knowledge that this will evoke the anger of the community at the offender.

Although personal possessions like radios and tobacco belong exclusively to the person who acquired them, it is common for those items to be lent or sometimes even borrowed without the owner's knowledge. The Batek believe that if a requested favor is refused, the person who was turned down, will likely suffer misfortune, and when the misfortune happens everyone in the camp will be angry at the person who was unkind.

There are two more practical reasons that sharing and kindness are widespread in the Batek community, first each man has a blowgun, used mainly for hunting, so if all in the group did not get along, someone could be subject to violence. Also the rain forest is very hot and damp so keeping things long-term is impractical, food will rot and hardware will rust if it is not used frequently. [16]

Modern challenges

A Batek man attempting to start a fire Cara menghidupkan api 177.jpg
A Batek man attempting to start a fire

External disagreements become a little more tricky. Since they do not have leaders or a military, the Batek are generally at the mercy of the Malaysian Government. Malaysia does not recognise Batek sovereignty, so during the 20th century the Government gradually encroached on the Batek land to use it for logging and farming. [18] Since the 1960s the Government has encouraged the Batek to live in Pos Lebir and become non-nomadic farmers. Most Batek are unwilling to settle in Pos Lebir because it has not been dedicated to the Batek; they would have to leave there if the Government asked and they would lose their nomadic lifestyle and their religion. One of the Batek summed up the situation by saying: “We Batek are rich if we have a cooking pot, digging stick, bush-knife, lighter, tobacco, salt and fishing pole. Also a man is sad if he doesn't have a blowpipe. We only want four or five sarongs, we don't need trousers. If we live here (in Pos Lebir), we need money, if we have money we buy a lot. But if we have no money, no problem, we reject possessions. When we live in the forest, we don't need them. We can dig tubers. If someone doesn't have food, others give it as in the old days.” [19]

2019 measles outbreak

In 2019, the Batek people in Kuala Koh Village of Kelantan was affected by a mysterious disease which took the lives of more than 15 people from the community. [20] [21] The disease was firstly thought as a mysterious illness for nearly a month before being finally confirmed as measles by the Malaysian Health Ministry following growing national attention on the outbreak. [22] [23] The cause of the spread in the community is due to low coverage of MMR immunisation which is attributed to the relatively low immunisation rate among the community with their nomadic lifestyle with findings by Malaysian Health Ministry found that although 61.5% of the villagers received their first measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shots, only 30% of them had their follow-up shots. [24]

Settlement areas

The orange area indicates location of the Batek people in Peninsula Malaysia SemaiMap.png
The orange area indicates location of the Batek people in Peninsula Malaysia

Some of the settlements that the Batek people are located includes:-

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semang</span> Indigenous ethnic group in Malaysia and Thailand

The Semang are an ethnic-minority group of the Malay Peninsula. They live in mountainous and isolated forest regions of Perak, Pahang, Kelantan and Kedah of Malaysia and the southern provinces of Thailand. The Semang are among the different ethnic groups of Southeast Asia who, based on their dark skin and other perceived physical similarities, are sometimes referred to by the superficial term Negrito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taman Negara</span> National park in Malaysia

Taman Negara is a national park in Peninsular Malaysia. It was established in 1938/1939 as the King George V National Park after Theodore Hubback lobbied the sultans of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan to set aside a piece of land that covers the three states for the creation of a protected area. It was renamed Taman Negara after independence, which means "national park" in Malay. Taman Negara has a total area of 4,343 km2 and it is one of the world's oldest deciduous rainforests, estimated to be more than 130 million years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orang Asli</span> Indigenous ethnic groups of Malaysia

Orang Asli are a heterogeneous indigenous population forming a national minority in Malaysia. They are the oldest inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelantan River</span> River in Kelantan, Malaysia

The Kelantan River is the major river in Kelantan, Malaysia. It drains a catchment area of about 11900 km² in north-east Malaysia including part of the Taman Negara National Park, and flows northwards into the South China Sea. The rainfall over the area varies between 0 mm in the dry season (March–May) to 1750 mm in the monsoon season (November–January). The average runoff from the area is about 500 m³/s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semai people</span> Ethnic group of Malay Peninsula

The Semai are a semi-sedentary ethnic group living in the center of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia, known especially for their nonviolence. They speak Semai, an Austroasiatic language closely related to Temiar, spoken by Temiars nearby. The Semai are bordered by the Temiars to the north and the Jah Hut to the South. The Semai belong to the Senoi group, and are one of the largest indigenous ethnic group in the Peninsula and the largest of the Senoi group. Most Semai subsist by cultivating grain crops, hunting, and fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gua Musang District</span> District of Malaysia in Kelantan

Gua Musang is a town, district and parliamentary constituency in southern Kelantan, Malaysia. It is the largest district in Kelantan. Gua Musang is administered by the Gua Musang District Council. Gua Musang district is bordered by the state of Pahang to the south, Terengganu to the east, Perak to the west and the Kelantanese districts of Kuala Krai and Jeli to the north. It is a small railway town about 140 km south of state capital Kota Bharu. Gua Musang is represented by Mohd Azizi Abu Naim in the Dewan Rakyat. The town lies on the KTM East Coast Line, from Tumpat, near the border with Thailand, to Gemas, Negeri Sembilan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mah Meri people</span>

The Mah Meri are an ethnic group native to western part of Peninsular Malaysia. They are one of the 18 Orang Asli groups named by the Malaysian government. They are of the Senoi subgroup. Most of the members of the Mah Meri tribe live along the coast of South Selangor from Sungai Pelek up to Pulau Carey, although there is at least one Mah Meri Community on the other side of the Klang River.

Temuan language is a Malayic language spoken by the Temuan people, one of the Orang Asli or indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia which can be found in the states of Selangor, Pahang, Johor, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan. Temuan is a separate language but has a degree of mutual intelligibility with the Malay language. It is written in a Latin alphabet, but no standard orthography has been made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lipis District</span> District of Malaysia in Pahang

The Lipis District is a district located in north-west of Pahang, Malaysia. The district covers an area of 5,198 km2. Lipis district is bordered by Cameron Highlands and Perak on the west, Jerantut on the east, Kelantan and Raub on the north and south, respectively. Lipis has 10 mukim or subdistricts, the largest being Ulu Jelai. The district capital is Kuala Lipis. During the British colonization, Kuala Lipis was made the state's capital city. Kuala Lipis was the administrative capital of Pahang for 57 years from 1898 until 27 August 1955, when Kuantan was picked as the new capital. Lipis was blessed with many types of minerals such as tin and gold, and products from the surrounding forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temuan people</span> Ethnic group of Peninsular Malaysia

The Temuan people are a Proto-Malay ethnic group indigenous to western parts of Peninsular Malaysia. They can be found in the states of Selangor, Pahang, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca. The Temuans are classified as part of Orang Asli group according to the Malaysian government. They are also one of the largest and the most widespread of the Orang Asli ethnic groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senoi</span> Indigenous ethnic group of Malaysia

The Senoi are a group of Malaysian peoples classified among the Orang Asli, the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia. They are the most numerous of the Orang Asli and widely distributed across the peninsula. The Senois speak various branches of Aslian languages, which in turn form a branch of Austroasiatic languages. Many of them are also bilingual in the national language, the Malaysian language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temiar people</span>

The Temiar are a Senoic group indigenous to the Malay peninsula and one of the largest of the eighteen Orang Asli groups of Malaysia. They reside mainly within Perak, Pahang and Kelantan states. The total ethnic population is estimated at around 40,000 to 120,000, most of which live on the fringes of the rainforest, while a small number have been urbanised.

Mintil is an Aslian language of Malaysia. It is considered to be a variety of the Batek language.

The Lanoh are a group classified as "Orang Asli" of the Semang branch by the government of Malaysia. They live in the Malay Peninsula and number around 390. They are also known as Sabub'n or Lano. However, the Lanoh community in Gerik and Lenggong, Perak would identify to themselves as Menik Semnam, a name that refers to the Lanoh people that lived at the Semnam River. Whereas the Malay community in Upper Perak would refer the Lanoh people as Sakai Jeram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jah Hut people</span> Ethnic group of Malaysia

Jah Hut people are one of the Orang Asli tribes living in Pahang, Malaysia. As of 2000, the population of the Jah Hut people are 2,442 and by 2005, it is estimated that there are approximately 4,000 people living in 11 kampungs (villages) that are located along the west bank of the Pahang River from the north in Jerantut to the south in Temerloh, Pahang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semelai people</span> Ethnic group of Malaysia

Semelai people are an Orang Asli people of the Proto-Malay people group found in Negeri Sembilan and Pahang states of Malaysia.

Semaq Beri or Semoq Beri people are the native Orang Asli people belonging to the Senoi branch, who live in the states of Pahang and Terengganu in peninsular Malaysia. The Semaq Beri language is a language spoken by the people, is an Austroasiatic language that belongs to the Southern grouping of the branch of Aslian languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jahai people</span> Indigenous people of the Siamo-Malay Peninsula

The Jahai or Jehai people are an indigenous people of the Semang people group found in Perak and Kelantan, Malaysia and parts of Thailand. They have dark skin, often curly-hair and Asiatic facial characteristics, and are stockily built. They are hunter-gatherers and they occasionally practice swidden agriculture.

The 2019 Kuala Koh measles outbreak was a measles outbreak that occurred among the Orang Asli sub-group of Batek people in Kuala Koh Village in the state of Kelantan, Malaysia, from May until July. Following the sudden deaths of several villagers, the disease became a mystery among the villagers and public for nearly a month until it was identified by the Malaysian Health Ministry in mid-June as measles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerantut (town)</span>

Jerantut is a town in Jerantut District, Pahang, Malaysia. It is the largest district in the State of Pahang. It covers an area of 2,900 square miles. Bordered by the States of Kelantan and Terengganu in the North, Temerloh and Maran districts in the South, Kuala Lipis and Raub districts in the West and Kuantan district and Terengganu state in the East. It has 10 mukims consisting of 295 villages administered under 58 JKKK. Jerantut District Council was gazetted on 18 February 1982. Jerantut District Council, formerly known as Jerantut Town Board is the local authority of Jerantut town.

References

  1. 1 2 Kirk Endicott (2015). Malaysia's Original People: Past, Present and Future of the Orang Asli. NUS Press. p. 2. ISBN   978-99-716-9861-4.
  2. ↑ "Orang Asli Population Statistics". Center for Orang Asli Concerns. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
  3. ↑ Bonta, Bruce D. Peaceful Peoples: an Annotated Bibliography ISBN   0-8108-2785-9. Metuchen NJ: Scarecrow, 1993 Page 29-31
  4. 1 2 Endicott, Kirk M. (2012). The headman was a woman : the gender egalitarian Batek of Malaysia. Endicott, Karen Lampell. Subang Jaya, Malaysia: Center for Orang Asli Concerns. ISBN   978-983-43248-8-9. OCLC   781275358.
  5. ↑ Archives of the Chinese Art Society of America
  6. ↑ Endicott, Kirk. “The Batek of peninsular Malaysia.” The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers ISBN   0-521-57109-X. 2004 Page 298
  7. ↑ Lye, Tuck-Po. Changing Pathways: Forest Degradation and the Batek of Pahang Malaysia ISBN   0-7391-0650-3. Lanham, MD: Lexington, 2004 Page 2-4
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nobuta Toshihiro (2009). "Living On The Periphery: Development and Islamization Among Orang Asli in Malaysia" (PDF). Center for Orang Asli Concerns. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  9. ↑ Colin Nicholas (2000). The Orang Asli and the Contest for Resources. Indigenous Politics, Development and Identity in Peninsular Malaysia (PDF). Center for Orang Asli Concerns & International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. ISBN   87-90730-15-1 . Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  10. 1 2 "Basic Data / Statistics". Center for Orang Asli Concerns. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  11. ↑ Alberto Gomes (2004). Modernity and Malaysia: Settling the Menraq Forest Nomads. Routledge. ISBN   11-341-0076-0.
  12. 1 2 Lim, Teckwyn. 2020. Ethnolinguistic Notes on the Language Endangerment Status of Mintil, an Aslian Language. Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (JSEALS) 13.1 (2020): i-xiv. ISSN 1836-6821. University of Hawaiʼi Press.
  13. ↑ www.ethnologue.com : Batek
  14. 1 2 Bonta, Bruce D. Peaceful Societies. 2005. January 12, 2006
  15. ↑ Endicott, Kirk. “Property, Power and Conflict Among the Batek of Malaysia.” Hunters and gatherers 2: Property Power and Ideology ISBN   0-85496-735-4. 1988 Page 117
  16. 1 2 Endicott, Kirk. “Property, Power and Conflict Among the Batek of Malaysia.” Hunters and gatherers 2: Property Power and Ideology ISBN   0-85496-735-4. 1988 Page 119-120
  17. ↑ Endicott, Kirk. “Property, Power and Conflict Among the Batek of Malaysia.” Hunters and gatherers 2: Property Power and Ideology ISBN   0-85496-735-4. 1988 Page 116-118
  18. ↑ James Whitlow Delano (3 August 2011). "How Biofuels Are Destroying Indigenous Communities in Malaysia". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  19. ↑ Endicott, Kirk. “The Batek of peninsular Malaysia.” The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers ISBN   0-521-57109-X. 2004
  20. ↑ Jia Vern Tham (10 June 2019). "14 Orang Asli Have Died In Kelantan Within A Month. Here's All You Need To Know". Says.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  21. ↑ Alyssa J. Oon (17 June 2019). "A Measles Outbreak Is The Cause of 15 Orang Asli Deaths In Kelantan". Says.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  22. ↑ Hannah Ellis-Petersen (11 June 2019). "Malaysia's last indigenous nomadic tribe threatened by deadly mystery illness". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  23. ↑ Joseph Kaos Jr. (17 June 2019). "Health Minister: Disease affecting Kampung Kuala Koh is measles". The Star. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  24. ↑ Debra Chong (17 June 2019). "Health minister verifies Kuala Koh Orang Asli hit by measles outbreak". The Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  25. ↑ Kisho Kumari Sucedaram (16 March 2016). "Taman Negara Batek tribe rooted in simple existence". The Malay Mail Online. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Salasiah Che Lah (2014). "Ethnic Tourism: A Case Study of Language and Culture Preservation of the Bateq Indigenous Group of Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia" (PDF). EDP Sciences. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  27. ↑ Ahmad Salludin Yeop Mat Ali (1974). Sistem kekeluargaan orang Batek Sungai Cheka, Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Jabatan Antropologi dan Sosiologi, Universiti Malaya.
  28. ↑ Aizan Mohd. Yusof (1974). Perubahan sosial di kalangan kelompok Bateq-Ndong, (Negritos) Semetong, Pahang. Jabatan Antropologi dan Sosiologi, Universiti Malaya.
  29. ↑ Loh Foon Fong (7 June 2016). "Long journey to land recognition". The Star Online. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  30. ↑ Anita Abu Hasan (27 January 2014). "Jakoa terima aduan Orang Asli". Sinar Harian. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  31. ↑ "Persekolahan 462 pelajar Orang Asli tertangguh". Utusan. 7 January 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  32. ↑ Aimuni Tuan Lah (25 August 2015). "Kesihatan Orang Asli tidak diabai". Utusan. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  33. ↑ Khadizan bin Abdullah & Abdul Razak Yaacob (1974). Pasir Lenggi: A Batek Negrito esettlement Area in Ulu Kelantan（Report No.3. Social Anthropology Section. School of Comparative Social Sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia.Pulau Pinang: Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.