Impacts of a Colonial Policy Legacy on Indigenous Livelihoods in Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

The indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia, the Orang Asli, remain a largely marginalized and impoverished minority group to this day. One could attribute this to the legacy effects of a policy instituted by the British during its administration in Malaya. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the fundamental needs of the Orang Asli are being met by examining their poverty levels in relation to their subsistence and understanding. The programs and policies currently implemented by the government development authority that has been tasked with reducing the poverty among Orang Asli communities were also reviewed. A mixed-method approach was used by collecting data from 325 respondents composed of both adults and young people from the Orang Asli. Based on our results from the analysis of one sub-ethnic group in the state of Terengganu, this study concluded that the socioeconomic needs of the Orang Asli do not appear to have been addressed sufficiently under the current schemes of the development authority, which continues to pursue a colonial legacy materialization goal. In order to improve the wellbeing of the Orang Asli and other indigenous communities, this research recommends an urgent review of policies implemented by the current government administration, which would greatly reduce the negative impacts of a legacy of colonialism.