PETALING JAYA: Last month, Orang Asli groups and advocates were incensed by the work of fashion designer Anuar Zainal, whose new collection featured the ritual masks of the Mah Meri on topless models.
The Mah Meri, who belong to the Senoi people, are one of 18 Orang Asli tribes. They live along the coast of Selangor, primarily in the region of Pulau Carey.
The fashion event triggered a slew of accusations of cultural appropriation aimed at the designer, with the village head of the Mah Meri Orang Asli community in Sungai Bumbun alleging that “Mah Meri x Anuar Zainal” was in mockery of the tribe’s ancient traditions.
So, why are these masks significant, and what do we know about Mah Meri culture? According to ethnographer Dr Clare Chan Suet Ching, the ritual masks, carved out of mangrove wood, are typically brought out during festive seasons.
What do they represent? True to the Mah Meri’s animistic leanings – the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence – the masks, called moyang, are considered manifestations of benevolent ancestral spirits.
Chan is an ethnomusicologist who has worked with the locals of Kg Sungai Bumbun in Pulau Carey for over a decade.
“They are actually the sacred masks of the Mah Meri, the ancestral spirits that would appear on Hari Moyang,” Chan, who has conducted research with the people of Kampung Sungai Bumbun over the past 14 years, told FMT Lifestyle.
In more detail, “they are the spirits that appeared and asked whether they could join in the festivities. When the Mah Meri said ‘you may join in’, they were venerated by the Mah Meri, who created masks for them.
“The Mah Meri continue to make these masks, which are not for sale,” she said.
Chan’s work has led her to learn of the stories of the Mah Meri villagers, particularly in the realm of music. In her new book “Songs of Ecology, Community, and Indigenous Values: The Mah Meri of Carey Island, Malaysia”, she examines the relationship between music and the tribe’s natural environment from the early 1900s to the early 2000s.
She also looks at how the Mah Meri’s livelihoods are evolving over time, and how this has influenced their music and culture.
Like other indigenous groups the world over, the Mah Meri are navigating a rapidly changing world, while trying to pass on traditions like their music and the use of ritual masks to the younger generation.
“I know from those I have worked with that they have very strong cultural values and customs, and maintaining them is important to the community,” she said.
To that end, Chan is working with locals in Kampung Sungai Bumbun to build cultural resilience among their younger generation, for example by working with older residents to teach Mah Meri children traditional songs.
She also teaches them video production and helps them with the English language, so they can share about their culture to others in the future.
‘A sense of belonging’
Reflecting on how the majority of Malaysians, especially urbanites, may view such communities, Chan said: “There’s a lack of awareness of indigenous traditions, and modern folks tend to have this perception that they’re backwards.
“I think it’s about the education of modern society, not so much to do with the Orang Asli. It’s how we are educating our children about the people around us.”
Of course, immersion in the community is also invaluable: having spent time with the Mah Meri, Chan finds they have much in common, and feels a sense of belonging with and understanding from them.
“I don’t think that they are very different from me. I got along very well with the group of musicians I worked with, maybe because they are ladies of a similar age.
“We share similar problems, similar issues. It was very easy to discuss things, and they share similar principles as I, a Chinese person, do – so I was kind of amazed.”
So, what does Chan ultimately hope for the Mah Meri? “I’d like to see the children grow up really knowing their culture but, at the same time, adopting skills that will benefit them and give them good jobs in the future,” she concluded.
‘Songs of Ecology, Community and Indigenous Values: The Mah Meri of Carey Island, Malaysia’ will be officially launched next month.
