The Semang Kensiu Orang Asli of Lubuk Legong, Baling: Their Language and Cultural Endangerment

Abstract

This paper reports on a study on endangered indigenous Semang group of Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia, with the main focus on the Semang Kensiu sub-group of Orang Asli of Lubok Legong, Baling. It presents findings of the study on language choice based on 225 word lists conducted on the Semang Kensiu Orang Asli community in the northern state of Kedah, Malaysia. The Semang are the smallest group of Orang Asli sub groups in Peninsular Malaysia, and are classified under the Northern Aslian group (Benjamin, 2012). Their language belongs to Mon-Khmer language. They comprise only 3.2% of the Orang Asli population (JHEOA (1994)). JHEOA, 2008 statistics show that the total population has decreased to 2.6%. Some Orang Asli groups have suffered physical, cultural and language extinction over the last century. Wazir Jahan Karim (2001) notes that some groups of Orang Asli have experienced a demographic crisis, disappearing while others disperse into smaller groups and eventually assimilate with Malay or other Orang Asli communities. She expresses concern about the future of Semang languages due to this discouraging pattern of population growth. Burenhault (2001) also reported the threatened status of the Semang language. This is further supported by the findings of the study conducted by Fazrul Azmin Zakaria (2010) which state that the Semang Kensiu's language is at 2.25 on the scale of the UNESCO's Level of Endangerment suggesting that the Semang Kensiu's language is considered to be ‘severely endangered’ language under the UNESCO classification (2007).