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Seletar, the sea people of Johor
10 Nov 2015 — For centuries, the Seletar community, also known as "Orang Laut" or sea people, lived in the islands near Singapore and Johor. The community, recognised as Orang Asli, now mostly live in boat houses in the coastal regions of southern Johor. But rapid development in Johor means their settlements are increasingly being encroached, forcing the community to rethink their lifestyle. The Malaysian Insider's Nazir Sufari recently spent time in several Seletar villages.
The faces of Seletar people or "Orang Laut", a community which have for centuries lived in the coastal areas of Johor and Singapore. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Kampung Sungai Temon, one of nine Seletar villages, near Danga Bay development site in Johor Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A Seletar woman on her boat near her house at Kampung Teluk Jawa in Masai, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A Seletar couple clean their boat at Kampung Teluk Jawa in Masai, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Seletar youths at Kampung Teluk Jawa in Masai, Johor. Almost 90% of them work as fishermen. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A toddler sleeps in the Seletar settlement of Kampung Teluk Jawa, Masai, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Seletar children play outside their home in Kampung Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A Seletar woman grooms her mother’s hair at Kampung Simpang Arang, Gelang Patah, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A family watch television at their home in Kampung Teluk Jawa in Masai, Johor. In Seletar villages, it is a common for two or three families to live under one roof. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
The Port of Singapore bathed in lights can be seen clearly during the night from Kampung Teluk Jawa, Masai, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A group of Seletar people peel mussels at Kampung Bakar Batu, Johor Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Catching shrimps is among the many sea-related activities carried out by the Seletar people. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Seletar villagers arrange boxes filled with mussels in Kampung Teluk Masai, Masai, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Seletar fishermen dive to find Siput Gonggong, a type of snail, at Sungai Melayu in Johor Baru, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A Seletar youth dives under the water near a mussels raft house, where fishes such as kerapu and siakap are found. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A Seletar woman sells her catch at Setulang beach in Johor Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Kampung Teluk Jawa, just a stone's throw away from a development project in Masai, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Seletar children play on top of a hill of sands used for a development project near the Danga Bay area in Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Children of Seletar in their village near Kampung Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A farmer checks his mussels at a raft house at Kampung Sungai Temon near Danga Bay, Johor Baru. Water pollution from a nearby development project is threatening the mussels industry. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A farmer shows his mussels farm at the Seletar village of Kampung Sungai Temon, Johor Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Sunrise at Kampung Sungai Temon, Johor Baru, brings to light a huge development project nearby. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Seletar children attend a government-run kindergarten at Kampung Sungai Temon, Johor Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A barefoot child of the Seletar community stands on mussel shells at Kampung Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Two Seletar children's wait for their mothers to finish peeling mussels at Kampung Teluk Masai. Pasir Gudang, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
Seletar children look for crabs in the mangrove swamp near Sungai Melayu, Skudai, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
A Seletar fisherman rows his boat as the Port of Singapore beams from across during sunset at Kampung Teluk Jawa, Masai, Johor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 10, 2015.
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