Socio-cultural Effects of Sayeit Law on Attitudes and Practices Indigenous Communities in Education

Abstract

Malaysia's uniqueness is not only measured by the peaceful and tranquility that exist in a multi-racial and multi-religious society. In fact, Malaysia is also known for various customs and cultures that symbolize a particular race or tribe (A'zmi et al., 2017) in Malaysia. The Orang Asli community is among the richest with various customs and cultures that are still practiced today. The way of life of the Orang Asli people who still hold fast to the traditions handed down from generation to generation is something that is amazing because these days, customs and culture are disappearing due to the modenisation. This article reports the findings of semi-structured interviews involving five informants who are from the Orang Asli community from various locations such as Orang Asli villages in Selangor, Perak and Pahang. The information obtained was manually analyzed with descriptive explanations and presented in narrative form for a deeper impact in conveying the findings of this study. The purpose of the study was to identify the socio-cultural implementation of the Sayeit law in the lives of the Orang Asli community as well as explain its impact on attitudes and practices in the education of the Orang Asli community. The findings of the study show that the Sayeit law is still widely practiced by the Orang Asli community whether they live in rural areas or on the outskirts of cities or in cities. Meanwhile, the findings of the study also found that  the practice of the Sayiet law had a negative impact on their attitudes and practices, thus affecting the process of obtaining a proper education. In particular, informants have shared their opinions and views regarding the socio-cultural influence of the Sayeit law which is no longer relevant, but is still practiced due to the fear that the hereditary custom will be gradually forgotten by the new generation.