Malay As Civilisational Orang Asli
Transcript:
Yesterday, I discussed how Bataks became Malays when they adopted Malay culture and became Muslims.
But is this unique?
No it is not.
In her study of the Sakai census in Malaya between 1901-1931, Sandra Manickam stated that the Sakai were classified into two groups: “Sakai jinak” and “Sakai liar” (tame and wild Sakai).
Citing WIlkinson, she stated that Sakai Jinak were:
“people of aboriginal descent [who] were included in the regular census schedules through their marrying or settling down among the civilised peoples of the country”.
She further noted that “Although he was not specific about which “civilised peoples” aborigines married or lived with, elsewhere he made it clear that he had Malays in mind.”
Sir Richard Winstedt similarly wrote that the settled Sakai (used to refer to the Sakai jinak in 1921) were “assumed to have adapted to this apparently civilised lifestyle through interaction with Malays.”
Winstedt also noted that the census between 1911 and 1921 showed a decline in the number of Sakai.
The reason for the numerical decline is because the Sakai were “being counted as Malays if they were Muslim, and not necessarily due to an actual decline”
The census director in 1931, Vlieland similarly noted that the aborigines who have changed their nomadic lifestyles and “converted to Islam would be returned as “Malay”.”
Malayness is a civilizational marker.
Regardless whether you are orang asli from the Batak, Sakai, Minang, Jambi…if you are from this region speak Bahasa Melayu, follow adat resam Melayu and are Muslim…
If you accept being and are accepted by the Malays…
You are a Malay.
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