Mah Meri people

Mah Meri
Maq Betiseq / Besisi

300px A Batin (village chief) of the Besisi people from Kuala Langat, Selangor, Malaysia, 1906.
Total population
(3,800)
Regions with significant populations
Pulau Carey, Selangor, Malaysia
Languages
Besisi, Malay
Religion
Forest & Natural Spirituality, a type of Animism and a significant population practicing Islam or Christianity.
Related ethnic groups
Senoi subgroup which includes the Che Wong, Jah Hut, Semoq Beri, Semai & Temiar

The Mah Meri (pronounced [max mri]) is 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.

According to the Orang Asli Office of the Malaysian government, they numbered around 2200 in 2005.

Most of the Mah Meri live in small villages (kampungs) on the fringes of other cities and on Pulau Carey, which has five separate villages of Mah Meri.

Political Organization

In common with other Orang Asli Villages, each kampung elects its own Batin (Village Headman) and a council of 'elders' to represent the people living in the kampung. The Batin is paid an annual salary by the Malaysian government. The Bomoh, who functions as a shaman in their society, plays an important role in the kampung.

Language

The Mah Meri language, also called Besisi is a native language of the Mah Meri people. It is part of Semelaic sub-branch of Aslian languages which is part of Austroasiatic languages and is related to Semelai and Temoq in Pahang as well as Semaq Beri in Terengganu. The language also borrowed various loanwords from Malay. There are an estimated 3,000 people still speak the language.

Mah Meri settlements

File:Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula (1906) (14758624876).jpg

A group forming a "war formation" in Jugra, Kuala Langat, Selangor, Malaysia, 1906.

Name of Kampung	Nearest Town
Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Bangkong	Sungei Pelek Kampung Orang Asli Tg Sepat
Kampung Orang Asli Sungei Kurau	Pulau Carey
Kampung Orang Asli Sungei Judah	Pulau Carey
Kampung Orang Asli Sungei Bumbun	Pulau Carey
Kampung Orang Asli Sungei Jugra	Pulau Carey

Traditional dances

• Tarian Jo'oh (Jungle dance)
• Tarian Topeng (Mask dance)

External links

• http://projekt.ht.lu.se/rwaai RWAAI (Repository and Workspace for Austroasiatic Intangible Heritage)
• http://hdl.handle.net/10050/00-0000-0000-0003-66E2-7@view Mah Meri in RWAAI Digital Archive