INTRODUCTION

This chapter is based on my Ph.D. research in two Semai villages, Kampung Perah and Kampung Tangkai Cermin, in the State of Perak. My main concern is to trace the history of contacts between the Semai people, an Orang Asli ethnic group, and the rulers of the pre-modern Malay state of Perak during the late precolonial period and the early British era, which ended in 1941. The discussion of these two periods overlaps to some extent because the Orang Asli in both villages were not aware of, or were confused about, these political changes. For them, the period of the early 1900s still falls within the era of the pre-modern Malay state era, because during that time they were still closely tied to the Malay rulers rather than to the British Resident.

My discussion will begin by describing various Semai myths in order to trace their cultural ideas about Malaysia and the State of Perak, its indigenous inhabitants, and their early contacts with the pre-modern Malay state. This is followed by a presentation of the oral history of local Semais so as to approach the main theme of this chapter, the contact between the Orang Asli and the pre-modern Malay state of Perak during the transitional period. Finally, I will discuss the socio-economic impact of these Malay–Orang Asli contacts.

THE MYTHS

Myth, or cәrmoor, is included in this discussion because it is regarded by the Semais as the source of Semai cosmology, the basis of their social organization and indigenous identity, as well as of their relationships with the outside world. Older Semais regard cәrmoor myths as true stories of the past. As Mara’ Semae said, the story of today will become a cәrmoor in the future, especially as it is passed down verbally.

There are several Semai categories of story. Gah “news” refers to accounts of current events. Pәnasal are old accounts or stories whose roots are traceable, from their content, to one or two hundred years ago. Cәrmoor myths are very old stories (older than pәnasal), some of which are regarded as fairy tales, and which are illogical from the empirical point of view. The Semais regard these myths in particular as origin-stories for all human beings, including themselves.