Many Malaysians know of the Orang Asli but may not fully grasp their daily challenges. To address this, a group of young Orang Asli women formed Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli (AKWOA), creating content to educate the public about their communities and the issues they face.
“Most Malaysians tend to know more about the Orang Asal of Sabah and Sarawak than they do about the Orang Asli communities of Peninsular Malaysia. One of the main reasons behind this is the fact that Orang Asli representation in mainstream media is very low,” says Eliana Tan Beng Hui, 23, programme coordinator of AKWOA.
Tan, a Jakun descendant from Kampung Petoh near Kuala Rompin, Pahang, notes that when Orang Asli are featured in the mainstream media, their stories are often distorted.
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“I once saw an actor misrepresent an Orang Asli character, using the wrong language and a mocking portrayal,” says Tan, who is disheartened by the frequent inaccuracies in depicting Orang Asli.
“So we founded AKWOA to give Orang Asli a voice through content created from our own experiences and perspectives, using media as an advocacy tool.”
Members of AKWOA (from left) Diana Tan Beng Hui, Yaliyana Leynab, and Eliana Tan Beng Hui.
To amplify young Orang Asli women’s voices through creative media, AKWOA is active on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, but its TikTok account stands out with over 9,600 followers.
“These days, people mostly consume information through videos, which is why our TikTok is so active. We taught ourselves video shooting and editing using phones and now use software on laptops,” she explains.
Taking to the screen
Active since 2018, AKWOA emerged after attending workshops on human rights and Orang Asli rights organised by the Freedom Film Network and Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli Committee (JKOASM).
The collective includes eight young women from Jakun, Semelai, Temiar, Semai, and Temuan communities. Their first project, the 2019 book Kami Pun Ada Hak Bersekolah: Wanita Orang Asli Bersuara (We Also Have A Right To Go To School: Orang Asli Women Speak Up), features stories of young Orang Asli women overcoming educational barriers.
The women shared stories of their struggles to get an education, including long journeys to school and facing discrimination from teachers and students due to their Orang Asli identity.
In 2020, the AKWOA group, with members living in Perak, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan and Pahang, began expanding its creative work to include producing films.
“Initially, we focused on Orang Asli education, but we soon realised that the challenges are interconnected, rooted in identity, land, and territory issues. We chose filmmaking as a powerful way to depict these realities and spark honest conversations through post-screening discussions,” says Tan.
AKWOA’s first film, Selai Kayu Yek (Roots Of My Land) released in 2020, was filmed in Kampung Pos Ber, Kelantan.
The 2024 film Semangat Tinak depicts a young Orang Asli woman, battling the encroachment on her ancestral land.
Selai Kayu Yek follows Aleh, a young Orang Asli woman who seeks help from famous Orang Asli YouTuber Rien after her ancestral land is threatened.
Despite Rien’s initial reluctance to support her, believing the community should move to the city, she ultimately recognises their shared struggles and joins Aleh in speaking out.
Although they had never made a film before, the AKWOA group members eagerly learned new skills in operating cameras, managing audio, documentation, and handling art and props.
“Using the skills we gained from our first film, we began creating short videos for our YouTube channel. The channel showcases the unique identities of the various communities AKWOA members represent, including our language, traditional foods, customs, and more,” says Tan.
Since the release of Selai Kayu Yek, AKWOA has produced three more short films, which have been screened at local and international film festivals: Klinik Ku Hutan (The Forest, My Clinic) (2020), Rahsia Rimba (Secret Of The Forest Guardian) (2021), and its latest, Semangat Tinak (The Warrior Spirit Of Tinak) (2024), which premiered at Freedom Film Festival 2024 last month.
The collective’s creative process typically begins with a “story lab”, where AKWOA members discuss the issues they want to address, set their film objectives, and develop a storyline based on real-life experiences from their communities.
The story lab and scriptwriting process takes about a year. Tijah Yok Chopil, the group’s main mentor and a dedicated activist for Orang Asli rights for over 30 years, is the screenwriter for all four of its films.
“After the script is settled, we will then recce the sites where we want to film, which are usually around the villages of AKWOA members.
“This recce includes presenting the film’s storyline to the community and securing permission to film there,” says Tan.
Fighting for a better future
Despite their passion for advocating Orang Asli rights, the members faced significant resistance from their families when they first established the collective.
“My sister Diana and I are both members of AKWOA, and our family initially opposed our involvement in the group.
“They did not agree for us to speak openly about Orang Asli issues because they thought we were too young and that as women, we should not make so much noise.” says Tan.
“One of our elder relatives even said that as women, we should only be concerned about getting married and managing the household. But over time, after my village experienced several incidents of encroachment by outsiders, our family began to open their eyes to what we are fighting for,” she adds.
Thanks to the attention AKWOA’s films and videos have attracted, fellow villagers are now more supportive of the group’s work.
“They’ve come to understand that the issues we present in our films need to be talked about, as they’re based on what’s really happening on the ground, and they even feel proud, because there are young people like us who are actively fighting for our communities’ rights,” she says.
AKWOA also organises film screenings at schools and universities and has conducted video content creation workshops with young Orang Asli women in Kampung Tibang, Perak, and Kampung Petoh, Pahang. These initiatives aim to equip future generations with the tools to advocate for their rights.
Through their efforts, the young women hope to prompt federal and state governments to recognise the rights of the Orang Asli, particularly concerning their territory and customary land.
“The common thread found in all our films is how the Orang Asli are intrinsically connected to the forests and land. It is everything to us – our home, our heritage, our livelihood, our identity. It must be protected, and most importantly, it must remain under our guardianship,” concludes Tan.
YouTube and TikTok: @ApaKataWanitaOrangAsli; Facebook and Instagram: @ApaKataWanitaOA.
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