'Tempok' Preserves Orang Asli Identity Amid Modernisation

By Norhidayyu Zainal

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (Bernama) – The deft fingers of Linda Angik weaving coconut leaves into a tempok, a traditional headgear of the Orang Asli community, captured the attention of visitors at the Festival Irama Asli & Asal 2025 here recently.

It took the 50-year-old Temiar woman just 10 minutes to complete the headpiece.

Linda uses a simple weaving technique, the process starting by crossing two leaves to form an X shape. The leaves are then folded into a V shape, inserted into the centre, and gradually joined leaf by leaf until a circular band that fits around the head is formed.

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She said the orderly and repetitive hand movements reflect the precision of the traditional weaving art, which is still being practised within the Orang Asli community.

Having started making the tempok at the age of 20, Linda said the accessory can be produced using various natural plants such as coconut leaves and mengkuang, depending on the suitability of the materials and the desired design.

“Each leaf is selected, trimmed and cleaned to ensure the wearer does not experience itchiness. It’s easier for us to teach others to make simple tempok designs, while more intricate ones require a higher level of skill,” she told Bernama.

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However, the Orang Asli headgear, also known as tanjak, carries a significance far beyond that of a mere accessory. It serves as an identity marker of the Orang Asli communities in Peninsular Malaysia, whose traditions and customs are increasingly eroded by modernisation.

Native Allies Society of Malaysia vice-president Hanim Apeng said wearing the tempok distinguishes the Orang Asli community from the wider society, while also reflecting the diversity of the 18 Orang Asli tribes in the peninsula.

“This is our community’s identity. We carry that identity by wearing the tempok or tanjak, which is symbolic regardless of its design as it (design) depends on individual creativity, the customs of each tribe and the natural forest materials used,” she said.

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Hanim, a handicraft entrepreneur, said in traditional practice, wearing the tempok is considered essential when outside the home as it symbolises community identity, and in the past, village heads would only remove it when sleeping.

She said changing times, however, have led to the practice becoming increasingly rare, especially among the younger generation.

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“Many of our young people no longer practise wearing this accessory. That is why we must constantly remind ourselves that this is an obligation as it distinguishes us from the outside community,” said the founder of Asli Mak Intan Enterprise.

Hanim said every member of the Orang Asli community should know the basics of making a tempok, even in its simplest form, as an effort to ensure the heritage continues to be passed down.

“We try to teach young people to keep learning these skills, otherwise this art may disappear,” she said, adding that she hopes more youths will be interested in venturing into handicraft entrepreneurship.

-- BERNAMA