Malaysian woman documents over 250 ethnic groups
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Faye Lim began to recognise gaps in her knowledge of Malaysia’s diverse cultures while attending a celebration of the Kaamatan and Gawai festivals of Sabah and Sarawak.
She encountered people identifying with ethnic groups she had never heard of, prompting her to learn about communities often overlooked in Malaysia. Lim launched the Rojak Projek, using art, food, and culture to connect with people from different backgrounds and document over 250 ethnic and sub-ethnic groups.
Lim received a grant from the Gamuda Foundation to focus on the Orang Ulu communities of Sarawak in 2025. Her team initially planned to document 15 communities but ultimately recorded the stories of 18, including the Lun Bawang, Kedayan, and Penan. They shared these stories on social media platforms to raise awareness about these groups, finding that even within Sarawak, many people were unfamiliar with smaller communities like the Kiput and Sa’ban.
Lim believes it is important to document these communities because their languages, customs, and cultures are at risk of disappearing as younger generations move to cities. Some groups, such as the Tabun, have only 20 to 30 remaining members. Despite challenges like becoming stranded in remote areas, Lim remains committed to sharing the stories of these often-unnoticed communities, believing that understanding them is essential to understanding Malaysia itself.
