Shaq Koyok gives voice to Malaysia's marginalised orang asli communities through art

“Years of being marginalised and being silenced, intentionally or otherwise, has contributed to the worsening living conditions of the orang asli,” says Koyok. “And these are my people—my community. So, to see these injustices go unanswered and to witness their suffering first-hand, I couldn’t just turn a blind eye to them and do nothing, even when I was uncertain and afraid. Change was never made by just sitting on the sidelines."

Though there are extensive studies on the indigenous people, Koyok says the divide between Malaysian society and the indigenous community was still far too wide.

“Our story [as indigenous people] was never written properly,” he laments. “It’s not something that’s prioritised by mainstream media either; even though we have had media coverage and support, people still don’t understand what it is we go through.”

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While recent news reports in 2023 have announced that the Orang Asli Act 1954 (Act 144) was to be improved in terms of the legal aspects related to land ownership and marriage registration for the orang asli, these indigenous communities in Malaysia are still struggling to obtain land rights, regardless of whether or not they have lived on the land far earlier than modern-day developments.

Koyok also adds that orang asli children are bullied in school, to the point where they drop out and don’t continue their education. As most begin and end schooling at the primary level, their skills are disparate from the rest of society. This fuels the discriminatory perspective society has towards the indigenous communities and shuts doors before one can even approach them. With low literacy skills, these children are unable to obtain stable jobs, leaving them no choice but to return to work in plantations and factories.

Because of the lack of stable income and forced displacement, orang asli communities lack access to basic amenities, including healthcare. Several studies proved that the orang asli are among one of the poorest economic groups in Malaysia and have a mortality rate that is six to eight times higher than that of the national average. Researchers have revealed a bleak truth of how over 70 to 80 per cent of orang asli children are underweight and suffer from stunted growth.

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“It’s always an uphill climb when it comes to complex issues that are nationwide,” says Koyok. “But when I see how people react and talk about my work, it keeps me going, even when they don’t necessarily say the nicest things about it. It makes me work harder.”

Giving up was never in Koyok’s vocabulary; wanting to bridge the divide between the orang asli and Malaysian society, the artist explains that gaining recognition and acknowledgement from others is vital to progression.

Other than painting evocative scenes of the indigenous people’s experiences, Koyok uses woven mats of dried pandanus leaves as a canvas for his works—a physical reminder of home and a textural element that draws attention towards the subjects he paints.

“At first, I needed an outlet to talk about my experiences. And [art] was the only way I knew how. Eventually, when I grew in confidence, the objective evolved—I started thinking about how to better highlight the issues suffered by my people and show different sides of the orang asli to others," says Koyok. “I thought about leaving a legacy at first. But now, I use my art to make an example for my community. [To show] that we can be more, that we are more, and that we can dare to dream a little bigger and make spaces for ourselves, even with a medium like art. I want them to see the orang asli in a new light—that we are, and can be, just like you.”

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