Bateq in the frame: Photo exhibit zooms in on nomadic orang asli

'Ceb Bah Hep' (To Enter The Forest) is an outdoor photo exhibition at the Taman Tugu nursery trail in Kuala Lumpur celebrating the unique identity and culture of the Batek Orang Asli, a small population of nomadic hunter-gatherers, scattered across Pahang and Kelantan. Photo: Mahen Bala

Nestled in the forest trail at the Taman Tugu Nursery in Kuala Lumpur’s city centre, is a humble outdoor photo exhibition with the lofty ambition of celebrating the unique identity and culture of the Bateq Orang Asli, a small population of nomadic hunter-gatherers, scattered across Pahang and Kelantan.

Humble, because it offers just 12 photos and has been mostly put together by two young men – photographer/filmmaker Mahen Bala and project manager Zarif Ismail. Lofty, because (arguably) most Malaysians’ knowledge of the Bateq Orang Asli is probably limited to the recent spate of deaths from a mysterious disease (later revealed as measles) that ravaged the communities of Kuala Koh in Kelantan.