ACCULTURATION OF CONSUMERISM AMONG THE ORANG ASLI COMMUNITY IN MERSING, JOHOR

Abstract

This article focuses on consumerism among the Orang Asli community, specifically in the district of Mersing, Johor. The Orang Asli have long been in contact with the mainstream society and the outcome has been that there has been a change in their consumerism culture (Rosnon, 2010). The influence of globalisation also has brought in consumerism influences and this has made it difficult to prevent the pervading of such influences into the Orang Asli society. The influence of globalisation, which also accentuated consumerism, is difficult to prevent from seeping into this community. As with other communities, the Orang Asli community has been exposed to cash-based economy and consumerism (Rosnon, 2010; Sarjit, Rosnon & Ma‟rof, 2010; Sarjit & Rosnon, 2013). This influence has, and continues to, creep into this community even though their settlements are located deep in the interior regions. The consumerisme among the Orang Asli community can no longer be viewed as being different from that of other communities. However, what persists as a problem is that this community, which has been categorised as a minority community, has long undergone a consumer acculturation process, accepting a consumerism that earlier had been alien to the Orang Asli community (Ma‟rof & Mohd Taufiq, 2008; Rosnon, 2010).
Consumerism among the Orang Asli community needs to considered in a diffferent way compared to that of the mainstream society (Rosnon, Sarjit & Ma‟rof, 2018). This is because the Orang Asli are not only marginalised but the majority of them fall in the categorisation of being poor, not only economically, but also in terms of power and education (Rosnon, 2014; Rosnon & Sara, 2015). Their desire to enter the consumer world has caused this impoverished and weak community to end up as victims of that very consumerism itself. They frequently buy goods at high prices due to their remote location (Rosnon, 2010; Sarjit, Rosnon & Ma‟Rof, 2010; Sarjit & Rosnon, 2013). They are also linked to inadequate knokledge and experience in managing their income, especially in planning their expenditure. Furthermore, their exposure to the mass media and consumer socialisation agents has caused them to form strong wants towards certain goods and services.
Consumerism and lifestyle are two elements that have a close association and mutually influence one another. The first wave of globalisation experienced in Malaysia is the consumerism, be it material or non-material, that crept into the life of society at various levels, particularly into the upper class and upper middle class (the newly rich). It can be seen today that the globalisation process has caused minority societies, such as the Orang Asli, to also feel its impact. The Orang Asli have started to use luxury goods and services (Rosnon, 2010). The lifestyles and consumerism trends of the lower classes possess certain similarities with that of a portion of the midddle class in other parts of the world. The middle class has a set of new social interests, such as their quality of life that encompasses high consumerist levels, with emphasis on leisure and also places importance on education as a means of consolidating their position and wealth.

In general, financial behaviour and spending behavior has never been stable (Shahryar & Tan, 2014). It is dynamic in nature and may differ from one generation to another. Currently, Orang Asli play significant roles in assisting the countries‟ economy, while the expenditure has been identified as a major part of the overall consumer spending in Malaysia. Financial behaviour comprises of four main aspects, holistic financial planning, sufficient income for living expenses, controlled expenditure, and financial management that could resolve financial problems (Jariah, 1987). Theoratically, financial management aims to assist individuals to manage their money effectively by taking into account their resources, their financial budget and such (Wolf, 1981). The process of financial management is related with how money is spent and how the plan is executed (Garmen & Forgue, 2018). An individual‟s current financial standing must be evaluated in order to manage one‟s financial planning for the future (Shahryar & Tan, 2014). There are two major financial management matters that are discussed which are financial budget and record keeping of expenditure (Ruth & Francille, 1981). Henceforth, within the Orang Asli community, it is crucial to evaluate about their financial and spending behavior. Despite limited resources, they are exposed to the mainstream economy system which includes financial management as their well living expenses and savings.
This study was done to analyse the buying patterns of luxury goods and utilisation of luxury services in the daily lives of the Orang Asli. It was also intended to identify the patterns of financial management and spending behaviour among the Orang Asli community. This article is divided into three main parts. The first part deals with literature analysis, in order to study the background of the Orang Asli, the theoretical acculturation model framework, and the behaviour of consumers. This is important to study the development of the Orang Asli and their economic standing as well as develop an understanding of consumer acculturation. The second part concerns itself with the research methodology while the third part is of research findings that touch on patterns of knowledge and behavior in purchasing and utilisation of luxury services, and also finance management, taking into account the objectives of this study.