Orang Ulu Explained

Orang Ulu ("people of the interior" in Malay) is an ethnic designation politically coined to group together roughly 27 very small but ethnically diverse tribal groups in northeastern Sarawak, Malaysia with populations ranging from less than 300 persons to over 25,000 persons. Orang Ulu is not a legal term, and no such racial group exists or is listed in the Malaysian Constitution. The term was popularised by the Orang Ulu National Association (OUNA), which was formed in 1969. Orang Ulu is totaling 180 000 people which is 6.2% from 2.8millions of Sarawak people.

The Orang Ulu tribal groups are diverse, they typically live in longhouses elaborately decorated with murals and woodcarvings.^[1] They are also well known for their intricate beadwork detailed tattoos, rattan weaving, and other tribal crafts.^[2] The Orang Ulu tribes can also be identified by their unique music - distinctive sounds from their sapes, a plucked boat-shaped lute, formerly with two strings, nowadays usually with four strings.^[3] They also practice Kanjet, a form of traditional dance.^[4]

A vast majority of the Orang Ulu tribes are Christians with significant Muslim minorities (especially amongst converts to the faith via intermarriages to ethnicities such as Malays and Melanaus who are adherents of the said belief), but old traditional religions are still practiced in some areas.

Orang Ulu classification

There are about 27 small indigenous groups that are classified as Orang Ulu such as:-

• Apo Kayan people
  • Kenyah people
    • Sebop^[5]
  • Kayan people (Borneo)
    • Bahau people
  • Kendayan
  • Ukit people^{[2] [6]}
    • Penan^[6]
• Kajang
  • Kajaman^[5]
  • Lahanan
  • Sihan^[6]
  • Bukitan people
  • Punan
    • Uheng Kereho ^{[7] [8]}
    • Hovongan ^[9]
    • Lisum^[6]
• Apo Duat
  • Kelabit people
  • Berawan^[10]
  • Kiput^[5]
  • Lun Bawang^[6]
  • Sa'ban people^[11]

Notable people

• Baru Bian^{[12] [13]} - Former Malaysian minister.
• Jacob Dungau Sagan - Former assistant Malaysian minister.
• Idris Jala - Former Malaysian Senate and Malaysia Minister.
• Henry Sum Agong - Former assistant Malaysian minister.
• Liwan Lagang - Sarawak minister.

See also

• Sarawak
• Penan
• Apo Kayan

External links

• Orang Ulu at Visiting Longhouses
• Orang Ulu at Virtual Malaysia
• Punan Community website

Notes and References

1. Book: Jeffrey Jalong. Kalong: Seni Motif Tradisi Orang Ulu. 2001. Kementerian Kebudayaan Kesenian dan Pelancongan Malaysia. 967-903-035-0.
2. Web site: Dying Tradition of Orang Ulu Rattan Weaving . The Borneo Post . Patricia Hului . 2016-05-25 . 2016-08-03.
3. Book: Jeffrey Jalong. Sape: Seni Muzik Terbilang Orang Ulu Sarawak. 2007.
4. Book: Jeffrey Jalong. Kanjet: Seni Tarian Tradisional Orang Ulu Sarawak. 2012. Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara. 978-967-5552-22-9.
5. Web site: ORANG ULU . The Patriots . Nizam GTZ . 2016-08-03.
6. Book: Wendy Hutton. Adventure Guides: East Malaysia. 2000. Tuttle Publishing. 130. 962-593-180-5.
7. Web site: Daerah . Sekretariat . 2021-05-20 . Bupati Kapuas Hulu Menyerahkan Surat Keputusaan tentang Pengakuan dan Perlindungan Masyarakat Hukum Adat Punan Hovongan dan Dayak Punan Uheng Kereho . 2023-02-12 . Info Kapuas Hulu . en-US.
8. Web site: antaranews.com . 2021-09-02 . Dayak Punan Uhen Kereho tuntut PT KWI terkait pergeseran patok batas . 2023-02-12 . Antara News.
9. Web site: ridzki.sigit . 2021-07-12 . Alam dan Kearifan Masyarakat Dayak Punan Hovongan . 2023-02-12 . Mongabay.co.id . en-US.
10. Web site: Our People - Orang Ulu . Sarawak Tourism . Erivina . 2016-08-03.
11. Book: Frans Welman. Borneo Trilogy Sarawak: Volume 2. 2011. Booksmango. 138. 978-616-245-089-1.
12. News: Andrew . Sia . Baru Bian, the first Lun Bawang minister, fought hard for Sarawak natives' land rights . 26 November 2018 . . 2 July 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180703133337/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/02/baru-bian-first-lun-bawang-minister/ . 3 July 2018.
13. Web site: Baru Bian's long haul from Long Luping. Joseph Masilamany. Malaysiakini. 19 June 2018 . 31 May 2020.