92-529: The Semang are an ethnic-minority group of the Malay Peninsula . They live in mountainous and isolated forest regions of Perak , Pahang , Kelantan and Kedah of Malaysia and the southern provinces of Thailand . The Semang are among the different ethnic groups of Southeast Asia who, based on their dark skin and other perceived physical similarities, are sometimes referred to by the superficial term Negrito . They have been recorded since before
184-526: A Sakai Village was established in Thailand . The state laid a rubber plantation for them. In the early 1990s, it was decided to turn this village into a tourist centre, where the Semang in a theatrical form began to demonstrate to tourists features of their traditional way of life. In terms of religion, the Semang are animists. They believe that not only people, but all natural objects have souls. The land of
276-541: A date of 1474 for the year of the ruler of Kedah's conversion to Islam. This later date accords with an account in the Malay Annals where a raja of Kedah visited Malacca during the reign of its last sultan seeking the honour of the royal band that marks the sovereignty of a Muslim ruler. However, in Thai chronicles it is told that Kedah was a Thai city like Nakhon Si Thammarat and was a part of Siamese kingdom but later
368-624: A large area of Bujang Valley , covering branches of the Merbok and Muda River that was about 1,000 square miles in area. It was built at the estuary of a branch of Merbok River, now known as Sungai Batu . Archaeological evidence found in the Bujang Valley (Malay: Lembah Bujang ) reveals that an animist settlement resided in ancient Kedah possibly as early as 110 AD. The discovery of a temple, jetty remains, iron smelting sites, and clay brick monuments probably dating back to 110 AD shows that
460-587: A maritime trading route with south Indian Tamil kingdoms was already established since that time. The discoveries in the Bujang Valley also made ancient Kedah perhaps the most ancient settlement in Southeast Asia. Ancient Kedah was first mentioned in the Tamil poem Paṭṭiṉappālai written at the end of the second century AD. It described goods from Kadaram "heaped together in the broad streets" of
552-552: A sense of common ethnic identity. The term Semang is applied on them from an outside view, however the Semang refer to themselves only with their tribes names. In total there are at least ten tribes that are classified as Semang in Malaysia (not all of them are officially recognized by the Malaysian government):- A few smaller groups of Semang live in the southern provinces of Thailand . These nomadic groups are mentioned under
644-627: A serious illness. Shamans can be both men and women. There are big and small hala s. Small hala s are ordinary mortals who know some ways of treating. For the treatment of diseases, they use certain songs, massage, herbal medicine and spells. Sometimes during the healing ceremony, they are part of the trance. Great hala s, according to the Semang, are people with supernatural abilities. Not only do they communicate with spirits through dreams or trance, they themselves are supernatural beings, for example, they can turn into tigers and drive away from wildlife people. Big and small hala s get their knowledge from
736-650: A term thought to derive from Sanskrit malayakolam or malaikurram . While the Chinese chronicle of the Yuan dynasty mentioned the word Ma-li-yu-er , referring to a nation of the Malay Peninsula that was threatened by the southward expansion of the Sukhothai Kingdom under King Ram Khamhaeng . During the same era, Marco Polo made a reference to Malauir in his travelogue , as a kingdom located in
828-448: Is 77.2% Muslim , 14.2% Buddhist , 6.7% Hindu , 0.8% Christian , 0.6% unknown / none, 0.3% Taoist or Chinese religion followers, 0.1% followers of other religions, and 0.1% non-religious. Statistics from the 2010 Census indicate that 94.3% of the Chinese population are identified as Buddhists, with significant minorities of adherents identifying as Christians (2.4%), Chinese folk religions (2.4%) and Muslims (0.4%). The majority of
920-1311: Is Institut Kemahiran MARA Sungai Petani, Institut Kemahiran MARA Alor Setar and Institut Kemahiran MARA Sik. This state also has several boarding schools such as Sekolah Berasrama Penuh and MARA Junior Science College or MRSM. This state also has several secondary Islamic schools ( Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama ) such as Tahfiz Model Ulul Albab or TMUA. Public secondary schools include SMK Taman Jelutong , Keat Hwa Secondary School , Convent Secondary School (formerly known as St. Nicholas Convent Secondary School), Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Badlishah, Sin Min Secondary School , Chio Min Secondary School , SMK Sultanah Asma, SMK Convent Father Barre, SMK Khir Johari, SMK Kota Kuala Muda, SMK Tunku Ismail, SMK Aman Jaya, SMK Bedong, SMK Bakar Arang , SMK Darulaman, SMK Ibrahim , K Jit, SMK Mahsuri , SMK Tunku Panglima Besar , Keat Hwa Secondary School , SMK Guar Chempedak and SMK Yan. Private secondary school include Keat Hwa High School, Sin Min High School and SM Sin Min. Tourism
1012-468: Is a state of Malaysia , located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia . The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km , and consists of a mainland portion and the Langkawi islands. The mainland has relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice, while Langkawi is composed of mostly of uninhabited islands. Kedah was previously known as Kadaram ( Tamil : கடாரம் ; Kaṭāram ) by
SECTION 10
#17327662850741104-467: Is a typical phenomenon for languages whose carriers are mostly small nomadic groups, of whom the usual situation is when representatives of different ethnic groups live together in the same temporary camp settlement. Thus, all the Northern Aslian languages together form a large continuous network of languages, interconnected by constant contacts. A similar but smaller network form the languages of
1196-669: Is also spoken outside of Kedah in places such as Penang, Perlis, northern Perak and even as far as Satun in Thailand and Tanintharyi in Myanmar . Besides Kedah Malay, another distinct variety of Malay known as Baling Malay ( Cakak Baling ) is mainly spoken in Baling District as well as some parts of the Sik and Yan districts. Baling, along with Grik Malay is part of Reman Malay, an offshoot of Kelantan-Pattani Malay of which it
1288-406: Is considered the "rice bowl" ( Malay : Jelapang Padi ) of Malaysia, accounting for about half of Malaysia's total production of rice. In 2008, the state government banned the conversion of paddy fields to housing and industrial lots to protect the rice industry. Tourism in the state is mainly focused on the island of Langkawi, although there are a few attractions on the mainland as well. In
1380-615: Is home to Mount Bintang , the state's highest point, located on the border with Perak. Some parts of Kedah are also karstic , with areas punctuated by limestone hills called mogotes . The major rivers within Kedah include the Kedah , Merbok , Muda and Kerian rivers. The Muda River serves as the southwestern border with Penang, while the Kerian River forms part of the southeastern boundary with Penang and Perak. Kedah's constitution
1472-552: Is home to several distinct ecoregions . The Tenasserim–South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests cover the northern peninsula, including the Tenasserim Hills and the Isthmus of Kra, and extend to the coast on both sides of the isthmus. The Kangar-Pattani floristic boundary crosses the peninsula in southern Thailand and northernmost Malaysia, marking the boundary between the large biogeographic regions of Indochina to
1564-433: Is limited to five years. The state assembly must be dissolved before or once it expires its term for a fresh election. Modern Kedah is divided into 12 administrative districts , 12 local governments and 132 mukims. Kedah is a heterogeneous state with native Kedahan Malays being the majority, along with significant Chinese , Indian , Siamese and Semang minorities. There was also a lesser known ethnic group known as
1656-684: Is located in Bandar Baru Sintok . It was formally incorporated on 16 February 1984. The university was established with the specific mission of providing a leadership role for management education in the country. The academic establishments at UUM include the College of Business (COB), College of Law, Government and International Studies (COLGIS) and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). Kedah also has several public universities and colleges such as Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Merbok ,
1748-582: Is mainly concentrated on Langkawi Island , the largest island in the archipelago, but there are also places of interest on the mainland. The Langkawi International Airport is located at Padang Matsirat and it is also considered a tourist attraction as the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition takes place every 2 years near the airport. The airport handled almost 1.2 million passengers and over 41,000 aircraft movements in 2008. Langkawi International Airport
1840-476: Is pursuing a policy of conversion of the Orang Asli to Islam . A certain demographic of the Semang was considered Muslim by the end of the 20th century. The statistics are as follows:- Scarification is practised. Young boys and girls are scarified in a simple ritual to mark the end of their adolescence. The finely serrated edge of a sugarcane leaf is drawn across the skin, then charcoal powder rubbed into
1932-575: Is separated from the island of Singapore by the Straits of Johor . The Malay term Tanah Melayu is derived from the word Tanah (land) and Melayu ( Malays ), thus it means "the Malay land". The term can be found in various Malay texts, of which the oldest dating back to the early 17th century. It is frequently mentioned in the Hikayat Hang Tuah , a well-known classic tale associated with
SECTION 20
#17327662850742024-527: Is the 8th largest state by land area and 8th most populated state in Malaysia, with a total land area of 9,500 km (3,700 sq mi). The terrain is mostly flat in general, as the Kedah–Perlis Plain covers much of the state's land area, from the district of Kuala Muda in the south towards the state of Perlis in the north. Owing to its alluvial properties, most of the plains have been developed for rice farming for centuries. Meanwhile,
2116-578: Is the Thai language , which is noticeably predominantly in the Kensiu language , in the north of the peninsula. In Thailand , most of the settled Semang also speak Thai. However, in some rare cases, some or a few Semang can also speak English since that Malaysia was ruled by the British from 1867–1957 . The Semang are suggested to be descended from the people of the pre- Neolithic Hoabinhian culture , which
2208-422: Is the god of thunder Karey. He is not loved and evokes great fear, he is considered cruel and evil. Karey, according to local beliefs, carries out an important moral function, imposing punishment on violators of taboo. It can cause death, injury or illness through lightning strikes or wildlife attacks. In each group there is a shaman called a hala . He acts as an intermediary between the visible world of people and
2300-540: Is the main point of access to Langkawi. In 2007, Langkawi Island was given a World Geopark status by UNESCO . Places of interest In 2006, Kedah hosted the 11th Sukma Games . The opening and closing ceremonies were held at the Darul Aman Stadium in Alor Setar. Football and Sepak raga are the most popular sports in Kedah. Kedah Darul Aman F.C. is a professional football team that competes in
2392-525: The Ancient East Eurasian ancestral lineage. Approximately 4,000 years ago, the practice of Slash-and-burn farming came to the Malay Peninsula, but nomadic hunting and harvesting continued to exist. New migrants also brought to the peninsula Aslian languages , which now speak modern Senoic languages and Semang languages . It is believed that the ancestors of the Senoi became farmers, and
2484-1216: The Chola capital. Apart from Kadaram , Kedah was known by various names at different times in Indian literature: Kataha-Nagara (in Kaumudi Mahotsava drama), Anda-Kataha (in Agni Purana ), Kataha-Dvipa (in Samarāiccakahā), and Kataha (in Kathasaritsagara ). In Middle Eastern literature, ancient Kedah was referred to as Qilah by Ibn Khordadbeh in the Book of Roads and Kingdoms , Kalah-Bar by Soleiman Siraf & Abu Zaid al Hassan in Silsilat-al-Tawarikh (travels in Asia), and Kalah by Abu-Dulaf Misa'r Ibn Muhalhil in Al-Risalah al-thaniyah . The Tang dynasty Buddhist monk , Yijing who visited
2576-565: The Jahai live at higher altitudes. In the past, the territory of the Semang settlement was wider, but neighbouring ethnic groups pushed them into hard-to-reach areas. Kensiu now live in the northeast of Kedah , the Kintaq of which are settled in the adjoining areas of Kedah and Perak , the Jahai are in the northeast of Perak and in west of Kelantan , the Lanoh in the northeast of Perak , in
2668-796: The Kulim Hi-Tech Park was officially opened as the first high technology industrial park in Malaysia. The Park comprises a total land area of approximately 14.5 square kilometres (5.6 mi ). Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan , Kedah, along with neighbouring Perlis , Penang and Perak formed the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) in 2007. There are four highways in Kedah – the North-South Expressway , Changlun–Kuala Perlis Highway , Butterworth-Kulim Expressway and
2760-670: The Lanoh language . Not all Semang languages have survived to this day, some of the dialects are already completely extinct. This danger also threatens some of the existing dialects, including Sabüm language , Semnam language and Mintil language . At the same time, the situation with most Semang languages remains stable; regardless of the small number of their speakers, their language are not threaten with disappearance. Most Semang, in addition to their own language, also speak Malay . There are also many Malay loanwords in all Semang languages. In addition, some Aslian languages contain many loanwords from each other. Another source of loanwords
2852-486: The Malay Archipelago between 688 and 695, also mentioned a kingdom known as Ka-Cha in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula , which according to him was thirty days sail from Bogha ( Palembang ), the capital of Sribogha ( Srivijaya ). In the seventh and eighth centuries, Kedah was under the loose control of Srivijaya . Indian and Arab sources consider Kedah to be one of the two important sites during
Semang - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-588: The Middle East , and the Mediterranean . The Semang become suppliers of jungle produce, which was in high demand in other countries such as aromatic woods , camphor , rubber , rattan , rhino horns , elephant tusks , gold , tin and so on. They also played the role of jungle guardians. The Malay Srivijaya empire came in contact with the Negrito. In the year 724 AD, two Negrito pygmies were among
3036-611: The Northern Aslian languages group of the Aslian languages , only the languages of the Lanoh language (with the dialects of its subfamilies and Semnam language close to it) belong to the Central Aslian languages group. Very few Semang languages have been studied in Thailand , most likely in Kensiu language or Jahai language . A characteristic feature of the Semang languages is that they do not have clear boundaries. This
3128-561: The Northern Aslian languages , Central Aslian languages , Southern Aslian languages and the Jah Hut language , which occupies a separate position. Among Semang in Malaysia, there are further extended languages and dialects such as Kensiu language , Kentaq Bong dialect, Kintaq Nakil dialect, Jahai language , Minriq language , Bateg Deq language , Mintil language , Bateg Nong language , Semnam language , Sabüm language , Lanoh Yir dialect, Lanoh Jengjeng dialect. Most of them form
3220-903: The Peninsular Malaysian rain forests ecoregion. The Peninsular Malaysian peat swamp forests include distinctive waterlogged forests in the lowlands on both sides of the peninsula. Extensive mangroves line both coasts. The Myanmar Coast mangroves are on the western shore of the peninsula, and the Indochina mangroves on the eastern shore. Two federal territories are embedded within Selangor , which are Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya . [REDACTED] Media related to Malay Peninsula at Wikimedia Commons Kedah Kedah ( Malay pronunciation: [kəˈdah] ), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda ,
3312-683: The Sam Sam people, they are culturally Malay Muslim but speak Siamese . Most of these communities have now assimilated into the Kedahan Malay community but few still retain their Siamese language, those communities can be found in Changlun, Kodiang, Jitra, Wang Tepus, Guar Napai, Malau, Ason and Napoh. The Orang Asli in Kedah consists of Kensiu and Kintaq people and are mainly to be found in the Baling district, as their community crosses there into
3404-550: The Srivijaya period, often calling the king of the straits "the ruler of Srivijaya and Kataha". In 1025, Rajendra I , the Chola king from Coromandel Coast in South India , captured Kedah in his Chola invasion of Srivijaya and occupied it for some time. A second invasion was led by Virarajendra of the Chola dynasty who conquered Kedah in the late 11th century. During the reign of Kulottunga I Chola overlordship
3496-533: The Thai language which is different from ones spoken in Kelantan (which also has a large Siamese population) and Standard Thai. The population of Kedah in 2015 was 2,071,900. It was made up of 76% Bumiputra (Malays and others), 12.7% Chinese, 6.9% Indian, 0.9% others and 3.4% non-Malaysian. The following is based on 2015 figures from the Department of Statistics Malaysia. As of 2010 the population of Kedah
3588-606: The Trans Eastern Kedah Interland Highway . Additionally, the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) West Coast Line runs through mainland Kedah with six stops in total. Kedah has two airports – Sultan Abdul Halim Airport on the mainland and Langkawi International Airport on Langkawi Island. Both the mainland and Langkawi Island are interconnected with ferry services. The state has a campus of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), which
3680-668: The Yala Province . In the upper part of the valley, in the Than To District of this province; about 2 km from the Thai-Malaysian border, there is a village in which is the only settled Semang group that lives in Thailand . There is another group of nomad Semang who live along the border with Malaysia in the Yala Province . Both nomadic and settled groups maintain close contacts with Malaysia. The border here has only political significance, and nothing prevents
3772-569: The 1990s, Kedah began moving its economy towards the automotive and aerospace industries with national motorcycle manufacturer Modenas (established in 1995) and Boeing subsidiary Asian Composites (established in 2001) setting up bases there. One of the main advantages is the low labour costs and the infrastructure in place with the North–South Expressway and the Penang International Airport close by. In 1996,
Semang - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-482: The 3rd century. They are ethnologically described as nomadic hunter-gatherers . The Semang are grouped together with other Orang Asli groups, a diverse grouping of several distinct hunter-gatherer populations. Historically they preferred to trade with the local population. For more than one thousand years, some of the Semang people remained in isolation while others were either subjected to slave raids or forced to pay tribute to Southeast Asian rulers. In Malaysia ,
3956-532: The British at the end of the 18th century. The Siamese nevertheless invaded Kedah in 1821, and it remained under Siamese control under the name of Syburi. In 1896, Kedah along with Perlis and Setul were combined into the Siamese province of Monthon Syburi which lasted until it was transferred to the British by the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 . In World War II , Kedah (along with Kelantan )
4048-401: The Indian population are Hindus (91.7%), with a significant minorities of numbers identifying as Christians (3.7%), Muslims (2.4%) and Buddhists (1.3%). The non-Malay bumiputera community are predominantly Christians (39.7%), with significant minorities identifying as Muslims (26.9%) and Buddhists (26.3%). All Malays are necessarily Muslims as defined in the Malaysian constitution . Kedah
4140-522: The Malay Peninsula, possibly similar to the one mentioned in the Yuan chronicle. The Malay Peninsula was conflated with Persia in old Japan, and was known by the same name. In the early 20th century, the term Tanah Melayu was generally used by the Malays of the peninsula during the rise of Malay nationalism to describe uniting all Malay states on the peninsula under one Malay nation, and this ambition
4232-1252: The Malaysian Spanish Institute of the University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL MSI) and the Polytechnic Institute of Sultanah Bahiyah (PSB) in Kulim , the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology ( AIMST University ) in Bedong , Kolej Universiti Insaniah (KUIN) or UNISHAMS (Kuala Ketil, Baling Kedah) in Mergong and the Polytechnic Institute of Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah (POLIMAS) in Jitra . There are 2 teacher training institution in Kedah, Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Sultan Abdul Halim (IPGKSAH) in Sungai Petani and Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Darul Aman (IPGKDA) in Bandar Darulaman that are set up by
4324-420: The Negritos. These people were endowed with magical qualities, and with various legends associated with fairy tales. Among the Malaysian sultans and rulers of the southern provinces of Thailand, it was once regarded as prestigious to keep Negritos in their yards as part of collections of amusing jungle beings. In the first decade of the twentieth century, the king of Thailand, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) visited
4416-412: The Semang are imagined in the form of a disk that lies on a huge snake or turtle floating underground. The earth is connected with the sky with one or several stone pillars. The world is filled with numerous immortal supernatural beings, spirits living on the sky, in stone pillars and underground. Skyline is a paradise filled with flowers and fruit trees. Supernatural beings have created rain forests to meet
4508-462: The Semang developed a tactic of avoiding contact with outsiders. As a way of preserving their autonomy, they would immediately destroy their shelters if an outsider intruded and they would remained hidden or "closed" in the jungle. The more the Semang were isolated from the surrounding peoples, the more surprising they were perceived by others. Many peoples of Southeast Asia considered the jungle as home to magical creatures, among those that assented are
4600-546: The Semang from freely crossing it. The closest neighbours of the Semang are the Malay people. This applies not only to Malaysian Semang but also to groups living in Thailand . The extreme south of this country is ethnically predominantly Malay, although the Malay people there are officially called Thai Muslims because of Thaification . Dynamics of the Semang population after the declaration of independence of Malaysia :- Distribution of Orang Asli subgroups in Malaysia by states (1996):- The population of Semang in Thailand
4692-589: The ancestors of the Semang continued to engage in harvesting, sometimes supplementing it with trade and agriculture. A stable social tradition, which made it impossible for marriages between these groups, contributed to the delineation of these two racial types. After 500 BC, maritime trade was already developed and the Malay Peninsula became a crossroads that bound India with China . On the coast there are settlements, some of them subsequently turned into large ports with permanent populations, consisting of foreign traders who maintained constant ties with China , India ,
SECTION 50
#17327662850744784-400: The ancient Indian text, Vayu Purana , may possibly refer to the Malay Peninsula. Another Indian source, an inscription on the south wall of the Brihadeeswarar Temple , recorded the word Malaiur , referring to a kingdom in the Malay Peninsula that had "a strong mountain for its rampart". Ptolemy 's Geographia named a geographical region of the Golden Chersonese as Maleu-kolon ,
4876-416: The ancient and medieval Tamils , Kataha or Kalahbar ( Arabic : قتح ; qataḥa or Arabic : قلحبر ; qalaḥbar ) by the Arabs , and Syburi ( Thai : ไทรบุรี ; RTGS : Sai Buri ) by the Siamese when it was under their influence. Kedah borders the state of Perlis to the north and shares an international boundary with the Songkhla and Yala provinces of Thailand . It borders
4968-442: The cessation of the Malayan Emergency in 1961 did not bring about significant changes in the state's policy towards the Orang Asli . In the 1970s, the Department of Orang Asli Affairs began to organize for the Semang settlements, which were meant to relocate several nomadic groups. Approximately by the end of 1980, the widespread development of jungle harvesting and the replacement of jungles for plantations, it has severely damaged
5060-406: The council are appointed by the Sultan of Kedah from members of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly ( Malay : Dewan Undangan Negeri Kedah ). The Kedah State Legislative Assembly is similar to the Parliament but is limited to making laws relating to the state. Its members are elected in elections which are usually held simultaneously with federal elections. The term of each state assembly member
5152-426: The cut. Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia . The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia , Southern Thailand , and the southernmost tip of Myanmar ( Kawthaung ). The island country of Singapore also has historical and cultural ties with
5244-406: The end of the fall on the maturation of wild fruit season. Because of this tradition, they are often designated as nomads, although the Semang in Malaysia at present are no longer leading a nomadic way of life. Today, among the Semang; as part of the Orang Asli group, they also live in urban areas of Malaysia , mixed with members of other ethnic groups. Several isolated Semang groups reside in
5336-453: The government to provide teaching courses for trainee teachers. Private universities and colleges that are located in Kedah include the Open University of Malaysia (OUM) Regional Learning Center for the state of Kedah and Perlis at Sungai Petani, the Albukhary International University in Alor Setar, Pusat Bahasa Titian Jaya the PTPL College and the Cosmopoint College. Kedah houses three technical institutes that are affiliated with MARA, that
5428-408: The hunter-gatherer people of the Peninsula. The other two groups are the Senoi and the Proto-Malay (Aboriginal Malay). The Semang have six sub-groups: Kensiu , Kintaq , Lanoh , Jahai , Mendriq and Batek . The Malaysian federal government has designated the Department of Orang Asli Development ( Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli , JAKOA) as the agency responsible for integrating the Orang Asli into
5520-471: The indigenous people as noble savages, who lead an idealized and romantic existence and need protection from the devastating actions of modern life. Attention to the aborigines drew only during the Malayan Emergency in Malaysia in the 1950s. In order to bring them to the government's side in the confrontation against the communist rebels, a special department was established, the Department of Orang Asli Affairs ( Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli , JHEOA); which
5612-430: The inland region. The Chinese in Kedah also speaks various varieties of Chinese such as Mandarin , Hokkien and so on. There are also a small but well established Indian community mostly of ethnic Tamil and also smaller number of Telugus , Malayalees and Punjabis who speak Telugu , Malayalam and Punjabi . Kedah is also home to a large community of ethnic Siamese of which it has its own distinct dialect of
SECTION 60
#17327662850745704-413: The invisible world of spirits. Shamans perform rituals and magic rites, practice magic, anticipate the future, cure illnesses, and define a safe place for camp placement. Treatment of diseases is carried out using different herbs and magic spells. Semang believe that their shamans in a state of trance communicate with supernatural beings, can express them gratitude, as well as learn from them the way to treat
5796-425: The jungles of the southern provinces of Thailand . So far in the north, there are two groups in Trang Province and one in Phatthalung Province live for several kilometers apart from each other. For many kilometers, in the southern direction, there is another very small group of Semang in the southern part of the Satun Province , near the Malaysian border. The remaining groups of Thai Semang can be found living in
5888-548: The legendary heroes of Malacca Sultanate . Tanah Melayu in the text is consistently employed to refer to the area under Malaccan dominance. In the early 16th century, Tomé Pires , a Portuguese apothecary who stayed in Malacca from 1512 to 1515, uses an almost identical term, Terra de Tana Malaio , with which he referred to the southeastern part of Sumatra, where the deposed sultan of Malacca, Mahmud Shah , established his exiled government. The 17th century's account of Portuguese historian, Emanuel Godinho de Erédia , noted on
5980-438: The lives of most tribes of the Semang. Much of the Kintaq, Jahai , Batek and Lanoh people now live in villages built by the state, surrounded by secondary jungles and plantations, as well as villages whose populations do not belong to the Orang Asli . They were forced to give up their livelihood and to some extent became accustomed to small farming. In 1966 (according to some sources, 1973), in order to improve their lives,
6072-401: The names such as Tonga , Mos , Chong and Ten'en . They call themselves Mani , but their linguistic affiliation remains uncertain. Because of the small number of some of these Semang groups, they are on the verge of disappearance. The Semang live mainly in the more isolated lowlands and foothills within the primary and secondary wet tropical jungles of the northern Malay Peninsula . Only
6164-466: The needs of people on earth. Some of them in the past lived on the ground as ordinary people and now from time to time come back here, appearing in people in dreams. Most supernatural beings have no names, they are often associated with certain natural phenomena or objects, such as wind or fruit trees. Others have their names and individual attributes. Most of the Semang are afraid of three natural phenomena; thunder, floods and storms. The main deity in them
6256-438: The neighboring state of Perak . Like most parts of Malaysia, Kedah is home to various languages and dialects. The majority language of Kedah is Kedah Malay , known by locals as Pelat Utagha (Northern dialect), it is a distinct variety of Malay which also serves as the state's main lingua franca and is used by almost all Kedahans regardless of race. Kedah Malay has many sub-dialects which differs from district to district and
6348-430: The north and Sundaland and Malesia to the south. The forests north of the boundary are characterized by seasonally-deciduous trees, while the Sundaland forests have more year-round rainfall and the trees are mostly evergreen. Peninsular Malaysia is home to three terrestrial ecoregions. The Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests ecoregion covers the mountains above 1,000 meters elevation. The lowlands and hills are in
6440-402: The north-central Perak , the Mendriq in the south-east of Kelantan , and the Batek in the northwestern of Terengganu , northeastern of Pahang and southern Kelantan . A significant part of these tribes live in permanent settlements, but traditionally separate groups of different time periods go into the jungle for the harvesting of jungle produce. Most often of such cases take place during
6532-412: The northeastern towards the southeastern part of the state is particularly mountainous, especially in the districts of Padang Terap , Sik , Baling , Kulim and Bandar Baharu . The Kedah–Songkhla and Bintang Ranges formed the state's boundary between the Thai provinces of Songkhla and Yala in the northeast, and the state of Penang in the southwest and Perak in the southeast. The Bintang Range
6624-531: The peninsula – Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ), gaur ( Bos gaurus ), tiger ( Panthera tigris ), sun bear ( Helarctos malayanus ), Malayan tapir ( Tapirus indicus ), clouded leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa ), and siamang ( Symphalangus syndactylus ). The Sumatran rhinoceros ( Dicerorhinus sumatrensis ) once inhabited the forests, but Malaysia's last rhinoceroses died in 2019, and the species' few remaining members survive only in Sumatra . The peninsula
6716-486: The peninsula, while some were subjugated to the Malays, most of the Orang Asli retreated into the interior regions. During the early years of contact, the Semang peacefully interacted and traded with the Malays, but with the strengthening of the Malay states, the relationship between them began to deteriorate. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Semang and other indigenous groups became slave trade victims of Batak and Rawa raiders. In response to attempts to capture slaves,
6808-502: The region of Malaios surrounded by the Andaman Sea in the north, the entire Strait of Malacca in the centre, a part of Sunda Strait in the south, and the western part of South China Sea in the east. Prior to the foundation of Malacca, ancient and medieval references to a Malay peninsula exist in various foreign sources. According to several Indian scholars, the word Malayadvipa ("mountain-insular continent"), mentioned in
6900-525: The region. The Titiwangsa Mountains are part of the Tenasserim Hills system and form the backbone of the peninsula and the southernmost section of the central cordillera , which runs from Tibet through the Kra Isthmus , the peninsula's narrowest point, into the Malay Peninsula. The Strait of Malacca separates the Malay Peninsula from the Indonesian island of Sumatra , and the south coast
6992-566: The same level with the Malaysian Malay Muslims. In Thailand , the terms Semang and Orang Asli are replaced by the terms Sakai or Ngopa ( Ngò 'Pa or Ngoh Paa , which literally means 'curly/frizzy (haired) people'). The first term is derogatory in Malaysia, with the connotation of savages, subjects or slaves. The Semang have had a degree of patronage from the royal family of Thailand . They have dark skin, often curly-hair, and are stockily built. The Semang do not have
7084-434: The southern regions of his country and met with the Semang. In 1906, an orphan Semang boy named Khanung was sent to the royal court, where he was perceived as the adoptive son of the ruler. From this event, it has led to the patronage of the Semang by the royal court. The British colonial government banned slavery at the end of the nineteenth century and introduced a protection policy for the Orang Asli . The British perceived
7176-446: The spirits through dreams or from another hook. The best way is to wait on the grave of the deceased shaman until he appears in the likeness of the tiger, and then he will turn to the person and begin to teach the beginner. Special rites accompany important events in life, such as birth, disease, death, there are also various rituals of economic orientation. When rituals are carried out, animist symbols are used. The Malaysian government
7268-559: The state government is vested in him. The current sultan is Sallehuddin , who has reigned since 12 September 2017 after his elder brother Sultan Abdul Halim died on 11 September 2017. The State Executive Council , which along with the Sultan is Kedah's executive branch of government. It is composed of the Menteri Besar , who is its chairman and Kedah's head of government, and ten other members. The Menteri Besar and other members of
7360-442: The states of Perak to the south and Penang to the southwest. The state's capital is Alor Setar and the royal seat is in the capital's suburb Anak Bukit . Other major towns include Sungai Petani (its largest urban area by population), and Kulim on the mainland, and Kuah on Langkawi . Around 788 BC, a large settlement may have been already established around the northern bank of Merbok River . The settlement consisted of
7452-483: The term Semang ( Orang Semang in Malay) is used to refer to the hunter-gatherers, that are referred to more generically as Negrito, Spanish for 'little negro'. In the past, eastern groups of Semang have been called Pangan . Semang are referred to as Sakai in Thailand, although this term is considered to be derogatory in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the Semang are one of three groups that are considered to be Orang Asli ,
7544-495: The tribute gifts to Malay rulers. Negrito pygmies from the southern forests were enslaved and exploited until modern times. At the end of the 14th century, on the coast of the Strait of Malacca , the first trading settlements were founded by Malay settlers from Sumatra . The main center was Malacca . At the beginning of the 15th century, the ruler of Malacca embraced Islam . Malay settlers began to slowly move upstream deeper into
7636-540: The wider Malaysian society. The three category division of the indigenous population was inherited by the Malaysian government from the British administration of the colonial era. It is based on racial concepts, according to which the Negrito were seen as the most primitive race leading the vagrant way of life of hunter-gatherers . The Senoi were considered more developed, and the Proto-Malay were placed at almost
7728-484: Was changed into a Malay state after invasion of Muslim kingdoms. It was later under Siam , until it was conquered by the Malay sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. In the 17th century, Kedah was attacked by the Portuguese after their conquest of Malacca, and by Aceh . In the hope that Great Britain would protect what remained of Kedah from Siam, the sultan handed over Penang and then Province Wellesley to
7820-476: Was descended from the people of the Kingdom of Reman of which once ruled the Baling and Grik regions before it was dissolved and became part of three distinct political entities namely Kedah, Perak and Yala (Thailand). Besides Malay, there are also various minority languages spoken throughout Kedah, Aslian languages such as Jahai , Kensiu and Kintaq are spoken by the small Orang Asli populations mostly in
7912-633: Was distributed in Southeast Asia from contemporary Vietnam , to the north eastern part of Sumatra in the 9th -3rd millennium BC. These Hoabinhians were hunter-gatherers and may also have practiced some forms of plant cultivation. While the Upper Paleolithic origins of the Hoabinhians are unknown, the analysis of sampled genomes from Holocene Hoabinhian individuals has shown that they shared a common ancestor with East Asians and (probably more remotely) with Australopapuan populations as part of
8004-587: Was established over the Srivijayan province of Kedah in the late 11th century. According to Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa or the Kedah Annals , Kedah was founded by a Hindu king named Merong Mahawangsa . According to the text further, the Sultanate of Kedah started in 1136 when King Phra Ong Mahawangsa converted to Islam and adopted the name Sultan Mudzafar Shah. However, an Acehnese account gave
8096-613: Was estimated at 240 people (2010). Semang languages belonged to the Aslian branch of the Austroasiatic languages . These languages are also spoken by the neighbouring Senoi . Austroasiatic languages, spoken by Khmer or Vietnamese, were adopted by various other hunter-gatherer groups during the Neolithic and pre-Neolithic period. Later, Kra-Dai and Austronesian languages partially replaced Austroasiatic and other languages. Aslian languages are divided into four main divisions:
8188-558: Was largely realised with the formation of Persekutuan Tanah Melayu ( Malay for " Federation of Malaya ") in 1948. The Malay Peninsula is covered with tropical moist broadleaf forests . Lowland forests are dominated by dipterocarp trees, while montane forests are home to evergreen trees in the beech family ( Fagaceae ), Myrtle family ( Myrtaceae ), laurel family ( Lauraceae ), tropical conifers , and other plant families. The peninsula's forests are home to thousands of species of animals and plants. Several large endangered mammals inhabit
8280-560: Was promulgated by Sultan Badlishah in July 1950. The various provisions laid down in the constitution include the role and powers of the monarch, the Kedah State Legislative Assembly and the state's civil service. The Sultan of Kedah is the constitutional ruler of the state. His position is hereditary and he holds his office for life. The sultan is the head of Islam in the state and the executive power of
8372-490: Was the first part of Malaya to be invaded by Japan. The Japanese returned Kedah to their Thai allies who had it renamed Syburi , but it returned to British rule after the end of the war. Kedah became one of the states of the Federation of Malaya in 1948, which then achieved independence in 1957. Malaya was then enlarged to become Malaysia in 1963, joined by Sabah , Sarawak and Singapore (independent in 1965). Kedah
8464-471: Was to provide education, health and economic development of the Orang Asli . A comprehensive control of indigenous communities was then introduced. Similar actions on the neutralization of the Negritos, albeit on a smaller scale, were also carried out by the Thai government in response to the transfer of communist soldiers into Thailand 's territory. The proclamation of Malaysia 's independence in 1957 and
#73926