MAJOR RACES OF ORANG ASLI IN PERAK; THE NEGRITO

The NEGRITO or infamously known among the anthropologists as the 'SEMANG' cover about 30% of the total Orang Asli population in Peninsular Malaysia. This makes the NEGRITO people the smallest and oldest people in the community. The NEGRITO has six tribes known as KENSIU, KINTAK, LANOH, JAHAI, MENDRIQ and BATEQ. This race is said to have connections with the Hoabinhian people who settled here some years before AD 800 - 1000 (Nicholas, 2000). In fact, according to DNA research by a group of lecturers, it was found that the NEGRITO existed for more than 50,000 years ago where they had migrated from Africa to Southest Asia (Monash University, 2008)

The NEGRITO tribes have physical characteristics of a lower body with average height of 1.5 meters or less than 1.5 meters. Their skin is dark, ranging from dark copper to black thus the NEGRITO is also known as 'Little Negroes'. Apart from the black skin, other physical characteristics that are significant is the curly hair, big nose, round eyes and sunken cheeks (Carey, 1976).

The people from NEGRITO tribes

For their everyday living, people of NEGRITO hunt and gather forest products (practice self - suffiency in economic activities). They also practice anisme belief system with regard to the existence of ghosts and creatures of nature. This tribe uses a language derived from the 'Northern - Aslian' the Mon - Khmer languages (Benjamin,1996)

Source: SUKI MEE. (2012). THE ORANG ASLI OF PERAK,JIS PAI CELEBRATION AND MARRIAGE CUSTOMS. YOAP BHD. IPOH,MALAYSIA