
In 2024, our paper was accepted by the ‘Futuring Craft: The Value of Craft’ conference as part of the 2nd Indian Ocean Craft Triennial.
The research and eventual paper output is a culmination of the work we have been doing since 2019 with the Semai community. When we saw the open call, one of the conference tracks, The Role of Humans In The World resonated with our documentation work of the Semai curative ritual they call balei pancur. It asked,
“Can craft play a meaningful role in the human responsibility for ensuring that life flourishes on earth?”
This paper examines the balei pancur, a traditional craft integral to a curative ritual of the same name. Derived from the words balei (house) and pancur (fountain), this practice was documented through visual and video documentations with mai halaa’ (shaman) Bah Cip and his family in Kampung Rakoh, Ulu Jelai, Pahang, Malaysia.

The Semai people, one of the 19 indigenous tribes in Peninsular Malaysia, are known for their dream practices. They would craft the balei pancur collaboratively within the household of the shaman when a villager falls ill and requires healing. The structure of the balei pancur is determined by the shaman’s gunik (spirit-guide), whose instructions are received through dreams.
By exploring the curative and creative processes of the balei pancur, as well as the sensory knowledge of the Semai, this study highlights how their attuned sensory perception fosters a relational coexistence. In this coexistence, the Semai understands that the forest is shared with diverse multispecies and multi-entities that affect and are affected by each other within the shared landscape. Through their relational coexistence and ancestral practices, the Semai have been able to live well and sustain spiritual and ecological balance within the landscape and their cosmos.
Download and read the paper (pages 300 to 317) below:
All of the above knowledge would not have been possible without the love and trust from Bah Cip and his family who welcomed us with open arms and open hearts at Kampung Rakoh, allowing us into their lives, showing us how they see the world, and sharing their wisdom with us. Our deepest gratitude to Bek Raheed and his family who hosted our team with love and care whenever we are in the Ulu Jelai area, sharing their home and space at Kampung Barreh Barrah. Thank you Sharon Yap Li Hui and Fikri Husin for being valuable team members, and to Lim Khim Joe of Children of Soil for her knowledge of the plant world.