Indonesian Sea Nomads: Money, Magic and Fear of the Orang Suku Laut

by Cynthia Chou

The Orang Suku Laut consider themselves indigenous Malays. Yet their interaction with others who call themselves Malays is characterised on both sides by fear of harmful magic and witchcraft. The nomadic Orang Suku Laut believe that the Qur'an contains elements of black magic, while the settled Malays consider the nomads dangerous, dirty and backward. At the centre of this study, based on first-hand anthropological data, is the symbolism of money and the powerful influence it has on social relationships within the Riau archipelago. The first major publication on these maritime nomadic communities, the book also adds fresh perspectives on anthropological debates on exchange systems, tribality and hierarchy. It also characterises the different ways of being Malay in the region and challenges the prevailing tendency to equate Malay identity with the Islamic faith.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2003

About the author

Cynthia Chou, Associate Professor with Special Qualifications (Lektor msk), social anthropologist, Head of Southeast Asian Studies, KU-ToRS. She is internationally known for her pioneering study of the life and lifestyles, as well as identity and change, of the indigenous Malays in Southeast Asia. She single-handedly built the Malay maritime life collection for the Singapore National Museum and has published highly cited books in this area which are used by several universities as textbooks. At KU, she initiated and directed several innovative programs of co-operation, both in research and education, with leading international institutions for which she has won various international prizes. Courses that she has been teaching at the University of Copenhagen include "The Anthropology of Food and Eating in Southeast Asia," "Modernisation and Development: The Human Landscape of Southeast Asia," and "Introduction to Southeast Asia Culture."