Jah Hut people are one of the Orang Asli tribes living in Pahang, Malaysia. As of 2000, the population of the Jah Hut people are 2,442 and by 2005, it is estimated that there are approximately 4,000 people living in 11 kampungs that are located along the west bank of the Pahang Riverfrom the north in Jerantut to the south in Temerloh, Pahang. These 11 kampungs also includes Kampung Pos Penderas and Kampung Keboi which are situated in the tropical jungles of Jerantut, Pahang. Kampung Keboi is one of the smallest kampungs among the Jah Hut settlements with only about 100 people. The Jah Hut people live in houses built on stilts, similar to Malay Houses.
The language spoken by the Jah Hut people is known as Jah Hut language and it is recognized as part of the Mon-Khmer languages; of which is also a branch of the Austro-Asiatic languages. In the Jah Hut language, Jah means "people" and Hut means "not". Diffloth reports that in the neighboring Cheq Wong language, there is a practice to name ethnic groups after their respective word for "no". The Jah Hut, however, only apply this to the name for themselves. According to the Jah Hut people, Jah means "people" and Hut means "different". The Jah Hut language itself have absorbed a lot of words from the Malay language into its vocabulary. Among the Jah Hut dialects includes Kerdau, Krau, Ketiar Krau, Kuala Tembeling, Pulau Guai, Ulu Ceres, and Ulu Tembeling.
Economic activities
The main agricultural activities of the Jah Hut people are such as rubber tapping, rice cultivation, hunting, gathering and poultry. Wood carving activity is still being practiced and it is not only regarded as a source of income but also seen as a part of keeping their traditional faith alive. Although the Jah Hut people reside in the jungles, they are not entirely isolated to themselves but they have been trading with other nearby groups of people for hundreds of years.
Eurycoma longifolia: Used as an aphrodisiac to boost orgasm, this herb is a popular herb among many races in Malaysia and can be obtained from the market.
Morinda citrifolia: The Jah Hut people use this herb to treat boils through the topical formation of its leaves and fruits. This coincides with the verification of pharmacology that ulcers are often caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Since Morinda citrifolia has antibacterial properties to combat it, this treatment is not an unfounded treatment.
Vernonia cinerea: Used by Jah Hut people to relieve asthma, as recent research shows that Vernonia cinerea has anti-inflammatory properties and therefore, this treatment is effective.
Vernonia arborea: Used for treating tumors.
Other medicines that have not been verified are such as:-
Physalis minima, Pyrrosia piloselloides and Smilax lanceifolia: These herbs are often used by the Jah Hut people to relieve pain.
In recent years, most of this people's medicines are no longer attractive to younger generation who relies more on western medicine. The current generation of Jah Hut people mostly do no longer recognize herbs and does not have much knowledge of traditional herbs. At present, most of the younger generation had migrate to urban areas for education and employment. Therefore, only the older generation have the knowledge of herbs and it is estimated that only a few people are able to use traditional medicine to treat diseases.
