Jakun people
Jakun people or Orang Ulu/Orang Hulu (meaning "people of the upstream") are an ethnic group recognised as Orang Asli (indigenous people) of the Malay Peninsula in Malaysia.
Jakun teenagers playing pick-up sticks in a community centre. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 31,577 (2010) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Malaysia (Johor and Pahang) | |
| Languages | |
| Jakun language, Malay language | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional religion, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Temoq people, Malay people |
The Malaysian government recognises 18 different sub-groups of Orang Asli, including three broad divisions: the Negrito (Semang), Senoi and aboriginal Malays (Proto-Malay). The Jakun people are the largest sub-group in the Proto-Malay division, and the second-largest Orang Asli sub-group overall, after the Semai.
In the past, the name Jakun was used as a term that encompasses all sub-groups in the Proto-Malay division, including the Temuan people of the southwest and centre of the Peninsula and several coastal communities of the south of the Peninsula, including the Orang laut (Orang Seletar, Orang Kuala) and Orang Kanaq.
In terms of anthropological characteristics, the Proto-Malay are southern Mongoloid, generally taller and having lighter skin than other groups of Orang Asli.
In standard Malay, the name "jakun" carries a derogatory connotation meaning "slave" or unsophisticated person.