That’s me up there in a Temuan tribe village during an inter-village blowpipe marksmen competition. I came second and still have the prized “mengkuang crown.”
It was in December 1981 when I first encountered the Temiars and the Semais. I was awaiting my SRP (now PMR) results and had followed the 20th Battalion of the Police Field Force for their annual war exercise. Part of the exercise was to win the hearts and minds of the orang asli by staying in their villages. I was assigned to go under ‘B’ Coy under (then) Inspector Junaidi Mas’ud (last I heard he was a Supritendant somewhere in Selangor). The other company was ‘C’ Coy under (then) Inspector Idris Abdul Ghafar.
There were two Orang Asli battalions then: the 19th (now re-assigned as Special Duties Battalion to protect sensitive installations and VVIP residences) and the 20th (now disbanded). They were called the ‘Senoi Praaq’ (pronounced as SEN-OI PRAAQ or WAR PEOPLE in Temiar) battalions.
My first few days with the Temiar people were full of funny memories. I remember the first thing I was asked by several Temiar elders were “Kelau hak rayak ke ames?”
Now how was I supposed to answer that one? I won’t translate what it means but it is sufficient to know that they wanted to know the size of my member. Luckily I answered correctly.
In another episode, I was taught the wrong way to ask for water from a village beau. I asked this sweet thing “Hak sengglok ma yek?” I got a tight slap instead. However, the Batin ‘reserved’ her for me in case I decided to marry the girl later.
Of course I could now speak not only Temiar, but also Semai (Perak ones) and Temuan (Pahang/Selangor ones); but am more proficient in Temiar and Temuan.
The Temiar are a bunch of happy people. It was fun to see them carrying out their lives from day to day, and I grew to love the sound of their nasal woodwind (seruling hidung), and of course, the Sewang. In the highlands, these barebreasted dancing beauties would look very much like Raquel Welch after several rounds of downing homebrewed moonshine.
I miss those days…kids and dogs…people greeting me “Selamat Yehyah” or “Selamat La’ag” or “Selamat Layeg“, “Oi! Sen-oi gop! Hak elok gah?” and I would reply back, “Yek gah meyj! Hak hojja acak ong?”; or Macam malok hak?”. The reply would come as a simple “Meyj!”
It’s 3.26am already. Layeg doh yim hord babok tok elek kerenja’erh. Yek lasenu doh, nok sengglok. Babok tok mok. Ne sen-oi aje erh.
Heut lah. Selamat layeg!
Eh? Selamat Yehyah!
SeaDemon Says 