Rasa malu dorong Faye mengenali ‘keluarga’ Malaysia

Faye Lim, also known as Faye Lim, discovered the vast diversity of Malaysia's ethnic groups during an event in 2016 that combined Kaamatan and Gawai celebrations. Initially, she struggled to recognize the different communities, saying, "I meet people and they say, 'I am from Kelabit.' Then someone else says, 'I am from Kiput.' I wonder, what are these?"

Feeling ashamed for not knowing many ethnicities in Malaysia, she embarked on a mission to document and learn about small communities across the country, particularly those previously overlooked. The Rojak Project, an initiative combining art, food, and culture, became her vehicle for this journey. Through The Rojak Project, she began capturing portraits of Malaysians using traditional foods like onde-onde, laksa, and nasi lemak.

She soon realized that Malaysia's ethnic diversity far exceeded her previous understanding, eventually documenting over 250 ethnic and sub-ethnic groups. In 2025, with support from the Gamuda Foundation, Faye ventured into Sarawak's interior, aiming to interview and document 15 communities, ultimately uncovering 18, including Lun Bawang, Kedayan, Bisaya, Tabun, Berawan, Tering, Sa'ban, Kenyah, Penan, and Penan Peruan.

Sharing their stories through social media platforms and Canvas Art Malaysia, she hoped to introduce these communities to a broader audience. Faye emphasized that acknowledging even a small number of communities should not marginalize them, especially when their languages, customs, and cultures face extinction threats. Generation migration to urban areas, she noted, leaves the elderly as the last custodians of each community's heritage.

The project's documentation took them deep into Sarawak's interior, including challenging road conditions and communication issues. Faye recalled a night when they were lost in the dark without a phone signal, with one of them crying for help. Despite these challenges, the experience solidified her resolve to continue raising awareness about previously unknown communities.

She stressed that understanding our "family" in Malaysia is crucial, as Malaysia cannot thrive without unity.