After knowing the indigenous communities for some time, one may notice an unusual phenomenon: while the mainstream continues with the “divide and rule”, a legacy left by the British colonials, indigenous people living in remote areas have long been intermarrying with different ethnic groups. Their physical appearances, skin tones, languages and customs defy traditional anthropological classifications, making it difficult to categorise them based on conventional physical or linguistic standards. Even their names often lack a standard logic or pattern. Recently, during a fasting month, a Malay uncle attacked a Chinese man for eating in public. The Malay uncle demanded to see the Chinese man’s identity card and even slapped him – simply because he “looked like a Muslim.” The incident sparked a national debate, but I have mixed emotions, as this man’s experience reflects the day-to-day life of the indigenous people. Most of the indigenous people in Malaysia have at least two names. The first is their “internal name” (nama dalam), usually linked to their birthplace or physical traits. Older generations of indigenous people, many of whom were born in the forest, often received names inspired by plants, such as Serdang, Nipah, or Kantan. If the birthplace lacks notable features, a strong child may be named Lembu (cow), while a child with single eyelids may be called Sepet (a colloquial term for small eyes). Capitalism gradually introduces foreign products into the indigenous villages and names are related to the products. Some children were named after objects – those born in cars were called Kereta, while a newborn whose mother wore Adidas shoes during labour might be named Adidas. Catchphrases also served as inspiration – if a baby frequently babbled something like “mongmong,” it could end up as his internal name. The second name is the “external name” (nama luar), which typically resembles common Malay or Muslim names. The key difference is that their identity cards may not indicate Islam, as they could be Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Bahai, or practitioners of animism. Since “internal names” are village secrets and indigenous people may not be familiar with each other’s “external names,” I often found myself on a scavenger hunt in different villages, showing photos and describing facial features just to locate someone named Mohammad or Fatimah. A key question arises: if these indigenous people are not Muslims, why do they still use Malay names? Who are you? This is the question the indigenous people are being asked throughout their life. During my research in a Jakun community, I once waited in a dimly lit house at dusk as the person in charged of buying petrol had not arrived. I noticed a mother and daughter were resting nearby. When the generator was switched on which luminated the entire wooden house, I was surprised to see the mother and daughter looked like the Chinese! The mother took the initiative to introduce herself: “My name is Mariam anak kepada Lim Ah Keong. My father is Chinese, my mother is Jakun. I can speak a […]
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