Semang

Member of an indigenous people of southeastern Malaysia. Traditionally they lived in small nomadic groups of 20-30 people, hunting and gathering in the jungle. They used poisoned darts shot from blowpipes. Today most of them grow some crops. They have numerous deities and practise shamanism.

The Semang exchanged forest produce for salt and other goods with neighbouring Malay groups by ‘silent trade’: their goods were left in a specified place and were later collected by Malays, who left other goods there in exchange, to be collected later by the Semang.