Mah Meri people

Mah Meri

Total population
Year 2005: 2200
Regions with significant populations
Pulau Carey
Languages
Besisi
Religion
Forest & Natural Spirituality
Related ethnic groups
Senoi subgroup which includes the Che Wong, Jah Hut, Semoq Beri, Semai & Temiar

The Mah Meri are one of the 18 tribes of Orang Asli living in West Malaysia. They are of the Senoi subgroup. Most of the members of the Mah Meri tribe live along the coast of South Selangor from Sungei 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 ^[1], 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.

Mah Meri Kampungs

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

Language

The Mah Meri language, sometimes also called Besisi is one of the Mon-Khmer language group but has also borrowed from Malay.

References

1. ^ http://www.jheoa.gov.my/e-orangasli.htm