The Jah Hut (Jah and Hut are two separate words meaning "people" and "no") are one of the nineteen original Orang Asli people groups of Peninsular Malaysia. The government classifies them under the Senoi subgroup.
Jah Hut villages are located in the foothills of the Jerantut and Temerloh districts of Pahang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan.
In the past, the Jah Hut people collected rattan and resin from the jungle to sell to outsiders. Like the Mah Meri, they were also known for their fine woodcarving skills. They depended on the forest for building and craft materials - such as poles, bamboo, and thatch for houses and straw or fiber for mats. They used to have a profitable woodcarving industry. However, with the effect of constant relocation and outside parties seizing their land and forests, this rural population is left without a subsistence base. Lacking land, trees, or forest produce, the only thing they have to generate income is their labor. Today, they have few job options. With limited education and skills, they are generally engaged in the lowest of jobs with little prospect for job improvement or job satisfaction. Ironically, the most readily available jobs for them are in the very industries that displaced them: logging and various plantations.
The Jah Hut are a group of unskilled workers scrounging these days for a living in Malaysian society. They usually work on a contract basis or as pieceworkers rather than as salaried employees. Thus, their employment is sporadic, unreliable, and often takes the workers far from home. Because they have little control over the conditions of their employment - they must take what they can get - they are often cheated out of portions of their earnings. On the surface they seem to have an increase in the level of cash income. This observation, however, does not take into account the destruction of the free traditional economies in the forest that benefited them in the past.
Their main festival is the "Day of the Spirits" where offerings are made to the spirits to avoid ill fortune. The Jah Hut puyang (witchdoctors) and pawang (magicians) play important roles in healing sicknesses and dealing with spiritual matters. The Jah Hut custom requires all young boys to be circumcised as a rite of adulthood. They are one of the non-Muslim Orang Asli people groups who practice circumcision. The circumcision functions not only as an ethnic marker but also as a way of uniting the community for a large feast and, if the family can afford it, a drinking party afterward. It is also an opportunity to display wealth and status.
The Jah Hut people do not place much value on education and skill development. They depend on the forest for income. Developers are taking away land, trees and forest produce and labor seems to be the only source of income for some Jah Hut. Pray that the Creator will call out believers to help meet the physical need of the Jah Hut. Since the Jah Hut have a fairly high percentage of believers compared to many of the other Orang Asli groups, pray for Jah Hut believers to serve as ambassadors to other villages.
Scripture Prayers for the Jah Hut, Cheres in Malaysia.
Profile Source: Southeast Asia Link - SEALINK Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Global Prayer Digest: 2019-03-01 |
People Name General | Jah Hut |
People Name in Country | Jah Hut, Cheres |
Natural Name | Jah Hut |
Alternate Names | Cheres |
Population this Country | 4,800 |
Population all Countries | 4,800 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
GSEC | 4 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 12308 |
ROP3 Code | 104149 |
Country | Malaysia | ||
Region | Asia, Southeast | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
Persecution Rank | 43 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Peninsular, Pahang State, just south of main body of Semai [sea] language area and Kuala Krau. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Country | Malaysia |
Region | Asia, Southeast |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
Persecution Rank | 43 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Peninsular, Pahang State, just south of main body of Semai [sea] language area and Kuala Krau.. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Primary Religion: | Ethnic Religions |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.10 %) |
2.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
65.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
33.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Jah Hut |
Language Code | jah Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Jah Hut |
Language Code | jah Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Jah Hut |
Primary Language: Jah Hut
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (2011) |
Bible-New Testament | No |
Bible-Complete | No |
Bible-NT Audio | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Film / Video | LUMO film of Gospels | Bible Media Group/LUMO |
General | Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text, audio, video | Faith Comes by Hearing |
General | Gospel resources links | Scripture Earth |
Photo Source | Copyrighted © 2023 Southeast Asia Link - SEALINK All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | Southeast Asia Link - SEALINK Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Profile Source | Southeast Asia Link - SEALINK Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |