The Temuan of Ulu Yam

The Temuan of Ulu Yam
Minah Raya with her granddaughter, Siti Kassim, and their pet monkey.

Deep in Ulu Yam, Selangor, near the Sungai Liam waterfall and a 30-minute drive from KL, a tribe of Temuans are moving house. The area floods, and they need a better place to stay, high above the water level. They build their houses using only their hands.

Most of them have conformed to modernity to earn a living, no longer living nomadic lives. They try to secure a stable source of income through farming fruits and livestock, and honey and herb collecting. To supplement their income, they also pan for tin.

I spend four months documenting them, immersed in their culture and lives.

Tok Ulang, 65, is the village chief.
Nature provides. Nipah leaves will be used as roof material.

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