What Malaysia’s Mah Meri indigenous group is fighting to preserve

via Yahoo, 02 November 2022: The Mah Meri are one of the indigenous groups of Malaysia.

For Diana Ross Diaman, a Mah Meri from Kampung Sungai Bumbun in Pulau Carey, Malaysia, the culture and traditions of her community have played a significant part in her development as a person, as well as in her aspirations in life.

“Growing up in my own community, it was fun. My parents taught me about the [Mah Meri] culture, about the arts, and I’ve fallen in love with it and it’s beautiful, that’s why I’m here,” Diaman said.

“My aspiration is [to be] a teacher, then be a model, but now, it’s a role model for my own culture,” she added.

The Mah Meri are among the oldest inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia, known for wood-carving skills that have UNESCO recognition.

Considered part of the Orang Asli (original people, a term for the indigenous tribes of Malaysia), they number in the low thousands, and live in small, scattered villages on the fringes of cities and on Pulau Carey.

Source: What Malaysia’s Mah Meri indigenous group is fighting to preserve