Territory
Traditionally, territory is not a clearly defined, but its boundaries are the edges of the rice fields and orchards, and it includes all the areas of cleared forest. The Ma' Batisek have now been confined to aboriginal reserves.
The Ma' Batisek live in villages of 50 to 300 people just behind the mangrove, traditionally along the rivers, but today they are caught between the mangrove and the plantations of hevea and oil palm.
Social and political organization
Each village, theoretically recognized as an independent political unit, is a parental group (opoh) in which all descend from a common ancestor. A village or group of villages is governed by a council of elders in which the batin holds the highest position. He has an administrative and legal role and is the intermediary with the authorities. Residence is matrilocal in the first stages of married life and then becomes neolocal.
Land rights : rights of use and land cultivation belong to whoever exploits or settles on the land. But the person who planted fruit trees continues to have rights over the fruit even if he/she no longer lives on the land.
Swidden agriculture
The plot is prepared at the end of the rainy season, in august. Rice is planted in september, harvested in march, and the land then lies fallow until august. This pattern is followed for 3 years running and the land is then left fallow for 3 or 4 years. But increased population has reduced the size of the field and rice is now grown every other year, and manioc, yam, sweet potato, and sugar-cane increasingly replace it in between. The size of a garden is 1 acre : manioc, yam, sweet potato, banana, vegetables. The size of an orchard is 2 acres.
Fishing and collecting shellfish
Seasonally, they collect crabs that can fetch high prices in the neighbouring islands of Ketam and Lumut. All year round many fish are caught (with line and hook) and shellfish gathered.
Hunting : they hunt large and small game with traps (bear, macaque, birds), spear and gun.
Long-tailed macaque (Macacus fascicularis) is one of the most important ; wild bear provides the most highly valued meat together with various cervidae (Tragulus ravus, Cervulus munrjac, Cervus unicolor), monitor lizards and one kind of pigeon (Treron vernans griseicapilla).
Diet
Diet is nearly entirely based on their environment (Carey Island). The mangrove allows for a highly diversified economy around sedentary agriculture, hunting (mangrove and low-altitude forest), gathering (many fungi) and fishing. They have some fowl.
They buy rice, sugar and flour.
Religion and their view of the world
The Ma' Batisek are not islamized yet. They believe that plants and animals are like human beings and therefore have souls. Their shaman is a spiritual guide.
Trade
Nibong (Oncosperma tigillaria Ridl.) is much sought after for naval construction and charcoal, and is exploited by the Chinese for whom the Ma' Batisek work as woodcutters. Their relationship with the Chinese is a patron/client relationship. Nirèh (Carapa moluccensis), tingkong or pulai (Alstonia spathulata Bl.) are used for construction and carpentry. Pandanus and nipah (Nipa fruticans) leaves are sought after for roofing and basket-making.
Crafts : the Ma' Batisek sculpt masks and figurines that provide profitable returns from the tourist trade.
Meat : bear meat is sold to the Malay and the Chinese ; macaque are hunted primarily to sell to the Chinese.