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.jpg) An Orang Seletar man and woman from Pasir Gudang, Johor in traditional attire. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 3,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Straits of Johor: | |
 Malaysia (Johor) | 1,042 (2010)[2] |
 Singapore | 1,200[3] |
| Languages | |
| Orang Seletar language, Malay language | |
| Religion | |
| Animism (predominantly), Islam, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Jakun people, Orang Kanaq, Orang Kuala, Temuan people, Orang Laut | |
Orang Seletar (also known as Selitar or Slitar) are one of the 18 Orang Asli ethnic groups in Malaysia.[4] They are classified under the Proto-Malay people group, which forms the three major people group of the Orang Asli.[5] The Orang Seletar are also considered as part of the Orang Laut,[6] natives of the Straits of Johor; separating Singapore from Peninsula Malaysia.
Despite their proximity to developed countries, the Orang Seletar largely retain a traditional way of life. In Singapore, the Seletar people are considered to be part of the Malay community. In Malaysia, the government considers the Orang Seletar to be one of the 18 Orang Asli officially registered tribes. As Orang Asli, the Seletar people are protected by the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA), which was previously known as the Department of Orang Asli Affairs (Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli, JHEOA) until 2011. The purpose of JAKOA is to raise the standard of living of the indigenous population to meet the average indicators of the country.
Although the Orang Seletar were originally classed as part of the Orang Laut, the Malaysian government and JAKOA classifies Seletar people as one of the indigenous Proto-Malay tribes, one of the three Orang Asli subgroups today. They are one of the few indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, whose lifestyle is connected with the sea, not with the tropical forest.
The Seletar people refer to themselves as Kon Seletar with the prefix "Kon-" or simply Kon; which is believed to have Mon-Khmer language origins. For comparison, in the Old Mon language and Middle Mon language, Kon means "a person belonging to a certain ethnic or social group".[7]
The Seletar people speak their own Orang Seletar language which is closely related to Malay.
- ^ "Orang Seletar". Joshua Project. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
- ^ Kirk Endicott (2015). Malaysia's Original People: Past, Present and Future of the Orang Asli. NUS Press. ISBN 978-99-716-9861-4.
- ^ "Orang Seletar in Singapore". Joshua Project. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
- ^ Ben Tan (25 October 2015). "Johor Orang Asli community lauds initiative to look into hostel woes". The Rakyat Post. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
- ^ Zafarina Zainuddin (2012). Genetic and Dental Profiles of Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia. Penerbit USM. ISBN 978-98-386-1550-1.
- ^ Ian Glover (2004). Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History. Psychology Press. ISBN 04-152-9777-X.
- ^ Mariam Ali (2002). "Singapore's Orang Seletar, Orang Kallang, and Orang Selat: The Last Settlements". Tribal Communities in the Malay World: Historical, …. Tribal Communities in the Malay World: Historical, Cultural and Social Perspectives: 97–118. Retrieved 2017-10-23.