JOHOR’S Orang Seletar or Orang Laut villagers are appealing to the Federal and Johor governments to look into their welfare as they are facing hardship.
MEETING the Orang Seletar or Orang Laut tribe near Johor Baru is indeed an enriching experience.
They are down-to-earth and sincere.
Talking to the Orang Seletar, one can feel and see the difficult life they lead.
For hundreds of years, the sea nomads lived on traditional longboats known as perahu pekajang.
They roamed freely in the waters of Johor and Singapore and the sea was their playground as well as source of livelihood.
The boat was their home and the venue for weddings and births.
Only when there is death do the people set foot on land, to bury the deceased.