Power and Politics: The Story of Malaysia’s Orang Asli

This book is about the Orang Asli, an indigenous minority people inhabiting West Malaysia. The study of three time periods (pre-colonial, colonial, and post-independence) reveals that the Orang Asli have developed a common pan-Orang Asli identity and political consciousness. This study contributes to applied political science by identifying a polity among the Orang Asli, and thus refutes earlier scholarly work portraying the Orang Asli as a fragmented people void of political import. Specifically two issues land and Islam are identified as the motivational forces behind Orang Asli ethnogenesis and politization. Land suitable to their quasi nomadic lifestyle has gradually become scarce and state sponsored Islam is increasingly omnipresent. Thus, Orang Asli’s concerns about their land rights and religious freedom have over time compelled them to negotiate their existence with the Malaysian state. This ongoing relationship substantiates the coherent political force of the Orang Asli in Malaysia. This case study also addresses broader issues of race relations in Malaysia, Islam in Southeast Asia, and regime relations with indigenous minority groups in the region.