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Jules Rahman Ong is a journalist, fixer and documentary filmmaker. He believes that the media can help bring change, and he has devoted his career to making films about marginalised communities and providing a platform for their voices. Jules is the co-founder of Rainbow of Love School for Refugee Children, initiator of FB movement Fighting for Our Forest, and co-founder of Bumi Kasih Permaculture.

Mustafa Along is a 32 year old indigenous rights activist and founder of the Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Kelantan (JKOAK). He began his journey in the world of activism since he was 21 years old back in 2008 and established JKOAK in 2010. Most known for his active role in leading the Temiar grassroot movement in Gua Musang in their struggle to defend their native customary land, he was the secretary for JKOAK from 2010-2011 and 2014-2015 before being elected as the current president of JKOAK. He has been arrested several times and is currently facing several charges in court due to his blockade efforts which are still on going.…

The Orang Asli have increasingly been looked upon as mere recipients of aid. But working with various groups of Orang Asli here in Peninsular Malaysia and indigenous groups in East Malaysia gives Gerai OA volunteers a different perspective. Although we’re focused on indigenous heritage crafts, our work is intertwined with various common issues these communities face including deforestation, loss of traditional territories, health & educational crises. We’ll also touch on how Orang Asli communities have led efforts to keep their heritage alive, and why their cultural survival makes economic sense. About Reita Reita Rahim graduated as a Graphic Designer in 1997 but soon found her calling with handicrafts, especially those…

Vicky Eluq is a Semai graphic designer known for his Orang Asli centric graphics. He obtained his diploma in Graphic Design and Digital Media in 2014 from UITM Alor Gajah, Melaka and finished his bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design in 2017 at UITM Puncak Alam, Selangor. Asides from freelancing as a graphic designer, he is part of Asli Kraf as a part time promoter/graphic designer and a part time radio announcer (Semai dialect) at Asyik FM, an Orang Asli radio station.

Puan Hanim is currently the Pengerusi  of MPKKOA (Majlis Pengurusan Komuniti Kampung Orang Asli) Sungai Buloh. She is greatly involved in overseeing the welfare and progress of the Orang Asli in her community.  With a passion for improving the livelihoods of her people, she holds a niche area of interest in promoting education to the children in her community and actively works with the parents for their cooperation in ensuring the children attend classes.

As a passionate volunteer with Epic Homes since 2011, Jason has built over 30 homes with numerous Orang Asli communities. Through the many house builds, he’s also built a close relationship with the villagers. Together with The Asli Co.’s co- founder Lim Xin Yu, a fellow Epic volunteer, they tackle water cleanliness issues and keeping Orang Asli kids in school by empowering stay-at-home Orang Asli mothers to earn an income through making modern handicrafts.

Samuel Isaiah has been a teacher in SK Runchang, Muadzam Shah Pahang since 2012. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching English for Young Learners with Honours from Universiti Utara Malaysia. This award winning Educator fell in love with his Orang Asli children and has since poured his heart and soul whilst constantly challenging the negative perceptions that glooms the Orang Asli community. He has strived to transform the physical infrastructure, cultivated an environment that promoted the use of English Language through meaningful lessons, assessed them for learning and not the exams, and lastly launched projects that enabled them to love and embrace learning. In 8 years his children has…

Dr. Welyne Jeffrey Jehom has been heading the Center for Malaysian Indigenous Studies since 2018, and teaches Anthropology and Sustainable Development at the Department of Anthropology & Sociology, at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of University of Malaya. Her research engagement with the conservation of intangible cultural heritage began with a High Impact Research Grant in 2013. Ever since, her research interest has been focused on the development of indigenous intangible knowledge as a tool for rural development from within the community, in particular, community empowerment in the production, dissemination and conservation of pua kumbu in Sarawak. Since 2015, she has been developing the intangible knowledge of the…

After being in the hairdressing industry for over 17 years, founder of Othrs.Barbers Lex Low found himself at a barricade in his career, which almost caused him to let go of it entirely. In search of real meaning in his work, Lex decided to make a radical move. He embarked on a soul-searching adventure by going back to basics. Back to basics meant giving haircuts; just haircuts – not at a salon, and not for any paying client. Lex stripped all he had been doing down to its essence to find the joy he first had when he pursued this career. He did that by teaching the underprivileged and orang…

Shaq is a contemporary artist from the indigenous Temuan tribe of Selangor. The Temuan have a population of 29,000 in peninsula Malaysia. In his early life, land developers encroached onto the jungle around his village, and this experience is reflected in his many works. That trauma from his childhood has fuelled his passion and led him to fight for his people’s land rights. He loves to explore many art mediums from contemporary painting to installation art. Here you will see his new combination of acrylic and charcoal on woven pandanous matting produced in his home village. Shaq’s career as an artist has developed to a point where he now has…