Mah Meri people

Mah Meri
Maq Betiseq / Besisi
A Batin (village chief) of the Besisi people from Kuala Langat, Selangor, Malaysia, 1906.
Total population
2,120 (2010)[1]
Regions with significant populations
 Malaysia (Pulau Carey, Selangor)
Languages
Mah Meri language, Malay language
Religion
Forest & Natural Spirituality, a type of Animism and a significant population practicing Islam or Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Semaq Beri people, Semelai people, Temoq people

The Mah Meri are 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,[2] they numbered around 2,200 in 2005.[3] 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.[4]

The Mah Meri people of Pulau Carey are internationally well known for their traditional wood carving skills.[5]

  1. ^ Kirk Endicott (2015). Malaysia's Original People: Past, Present and Future of the Orang Asli. NUS Press. ISBN 978-99-716-9861-4.
  2. ^ "Department of Orang Asli Affairs | Orang Asli". Archived from the original on 2006-12-10. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
  3. ^ Selangor Tourism (5 April 2014). "Celebrate Mah Meri's cultural diversity". Sinar Harian. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  4. ^ Soong Phui Jee (8 June 2013). "Palm tree shaded island". Sin Chew Daily. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  5. ^ Rouwen Lin (2 February 2016). "Mah Meri carvers do it with spirit". The Star. Retrieved 2016-11-10.