Mystical Sculptures of Mah Meri

Published in New Sunday Times
16 August 2009

Mystical sculptures of Mah Meri



The Mah Meri tribe is renowned for its high-quality wood statues and carvings. MAX KOH heads down to Kampung Sungai Bumbun in Carey Island to find out more about the people and their craft.

THE idyllic Kampung Sungai Bumbun in Carey island is home to the Mah Meri tribe whose wood-carvings are famous the world over for their intricate designs and quality craftsmanship.

The carvings, acknowledged by Unesco as part of the world's heritage, are sought after by collectors from abroad and can fetch up to thousands of ringgit.

Two of the designs have been awarded the Asean Handicraft Promotion and Development Association's seal of excellence for two consecutive years.

Headman Sidin Anak Bujang with Moyang Sauh.


Diaman poses in his traditional mask and costume.


Diaman working on the colossal Moyang Naga.

Kampung Sungai Bumbun is a 50-minute scenic drive from Petaling Jaya on the New Klang Valley Expressway, exiting left at the Bukit Tinggi exit to Jalan Klang-Banting.

There is only one stretch of road in the village, with houses and wooden huts located on both sides. The huts are where the artisans work and sell their handicraft.

The friendly village headman, Sidin Anak Bujan, is an experienced wood carver who stopped carving years ago. He now leaves it to his fellow villagers to continue with the trade.

The wood carvings are modelled after their ancestral spirits, explains Sidin.

There are many ancestral spirits in the tribe's tradition, which the Mah Meri people use to solve different problems and ward off evil spirits.

For example, fishermen will take along the wood carvings of Moyang Sauh (anchor spirit) when they venture out to sea to ensure their safety.


Moyang Sauh

Moyang Puting Beliung (tornado spirit), as its name implies, is an ancestral spirit that is invoked to protect the roofs of their houses from being blown away by strong wind during a storm.

The Mah Meri believe that the Moyang Naga, a colossal dragon, causes earthquakes with its movement.

The story goes that a long time ago, a man went hunting in the jungle with a spear borrowed from the headman. The hunter took shelter under a huge fallen tree as it had begun to rain.

He wedged the spear upright against the fallen tree where he suddenly felt drops of liquid on his body which turned out to be blood and he ran.

He then noticed that the tree was actually a dragon and that he had been taking shelter in its mouth. The spear was wedged into the upper palate of its mouth.

He decided to leave the spear there rather than risk entering the dragon's mouth again. When he brought other villagers back to the place, the dragon had disappeared.

Stories like these are usually re-enacted in dance performances where the Mah Meri will don wooden masks and traditional costumes made of nipah and mengkuang leaves.

The village has a group of dancers who often perform at various functions and events around the country.



An artisan working on the Moyang Harimau Berantai (Tenung Ak Ak).


The finished product of Moyang Hariman Berantai.

Sidin says the best time to catch their performances and the Mah Meri's way of life is to visit the village during Ancestral Day at the beginning of the year.

"Tourists come in the busloads to watch how we celebrate Ancestral Day. Recently, there were more than 200 tourists, including some from Korea and China."

These trips are organised by the Tourism Board of Malaysia.

On other days, most of the villagers will be out working in the jungle, but some can be found carving in their wooden huts.

One such carver is 48-year-old Diaman Kisah who is working on a large Moyang Naga.

With various wooden sculptures, blocks of wood and tools scattered around him, he explains that he has been interested in the craft since childhood.

"My father did not want to teach me, so I learned from others," says Diaman, who hones his skill under master carver Piun Bumbun.

"It usually takes at least two weeks to finish a statue, depending on its size and type. Most of the sculptures are made of reddish nyireh batu wood which is found around Carey island."

Nyireh batu wood is used because of its rich, deep colours and fine grain. However, the raw material is becoming scarce.

"The nyireh batu wood is a very hard wood to work with but it has such a beautiful sheen and glow to it. It's hard to find now because irresponsible people have damaged the trees."

Other types of wood used include nyireh bunga which is used for carving masks and toys.


Diaman with two of his masks that he uses for performance.

Does every statue have a spiritual meaning for the Mah Meri?

"The wood carvings are not created specifically for worship but we do use them to cure illnesses such as fever and stomach aches."

To cure illnesses, a member of the patient's family will carve a figure from wood or fashion one from soil depicting the spirit that is causing the sickness.

"The figure is then given to the witch doctor. A ritual will be performed to transfer the sickness from the patient to the figure, which is then cast into the jungle or sea.

However, the figures sold commercially are not for such purposes, says Sidin.

There are five Mah Meri villages on Carey island. The Mah Meri are natives of the island and are part of the Senoi subgroup of the Orang Asli community.

There are about 73 Mah Meri families in Kampung Sungai Bumbun with more than 480 inhabitants.

In conjunction with National Day, Tourism Malaysia is organising "Mystic of Carey island" on Aug 22, where the Mah Meri people will perform prayers for their ancestors, display figurines and perform traditional dances.

For more information, call 603-5511 1122 or visit www.tourism. gov.my.