Semelai Communities at Tasek Bera : A Study of the Structure of an Orang Asli Society

Originally written in 1964, this report is the first ethnographic monography ever written on the Semelai, an Orang Asli community who make Tasek Bera - now a renowed wetlands heritage site - their home. 

The report is filled with keen observation on the way of life of the Semelai people a generation ago, at a time when they were resettled to Pos Iskandar to isolate them from the security threat caused by the Communist insurgents.

The author was therefore observing the Semelai during a period when they were changing from a traditional to a more mordern life style. This is make his observations all the more memorable and significant.