Empowering the Art of Orang Asli Perak

Welcome to

Persatuan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Orang Asal Perak

The Orang Asli or Indigenous people of Perak are a close-knit community of diverse culture and rich heritage. Sharp and masterly in their resourceful skills as they are, they are also especially talented and artistically inclined—a talent that deserves preservation, recognition, and appreciation by more of the general public. This is especially since the modern development in terms of a societal civilisation happens at a slower pace for them due to underrepresentation and lack of access to better income opportunities.

Persatuan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Orang Asli Perak (PKKOAP) was established in 2018 to combat this underrepresentation from an artistic heritage and cultural perspective, focusing mainly on the Orang Asli communities in Perak. The drastic occurrences of deforestation in Perak have left many of its indigenous communities without a stable source of income. This has caused most of them to rely on producing artistic and cultural crafts to sustain their livelihoods. Understanding that the cultural and artistic heritage of the Orang Asli in Perak is key in sustaining their community, PKKOAP aims to boost their efforts by empowering their artful heritage to the general public while preserving the environment, allowing them more exposure to gain a more substantial income.

PKKOAP has goals to restore and preserve the natural resources available to the Orang Asli in Perak while also promoting alternative incomes to sustain their daily lives. We want to ensure that the indigenous communities in Perak are uplifted to stay resilient in the face of environmental issues because we recognise that the environment itself is a cultural heritage to them.

Mission

To empower an Orang Asli community that is sustainable and adept to the point of excellence in the field of cultural arts and heritage.

Vision

To promote and develop the vibrant culture, arts, customs, and traditions of the Orang Asli community.

Orang Asli Perak

The Orang Asli in Perak come from the 5 different tribes of Semai, Temian, Kentaq and Lanoh.

Handicrafts

Other than bags, the orang asli weavers can also weave rattan into bigger baskets to store things, make furniture and they can even make children's toys from rattan and strings!

Culture

The elements of nature are not just shown through their crafts but also through their traditional dances.

Resources

The crafts made by the Orang asli are from organic fibers such as Mengkuang, Rattan, Bamboo and others

What We Do

In line with persevering in our efforts to boost the Orang Asli community in Perak, PKKOAP organises awareness programmes to:

Educate the public on their cultural art heritage.

There is so much more than what lies on the surface. Come explore and learn about our deep and rich culture and history! There just might be a wonderful experience waiting for you!

Encourage the Malaysian youth to engage in protecting national treasures and heritage

Learn to produce handicraft products and educate others on the crafts’ origins. Our beautiful handicraft products are crafted from natural resources such as rattan, bamboo, screw pines, and kelarai (a common woven art form practise)

Conduct heritage tours to Gua Tempurung

Visit the wonders of Gua Tempurung and bask in its natural beauty. Be environmentally aware of the value of its ecosystem and its importance to the indigenous communities in Perak.