 They are considered to be one of the country's earliest inhabitants even though they have been living on the Peninsula for only about 200 years.Initially, the Kanaq people settled more or less calmly in the village at Mawai Lama, Kota Tinggi but until the times of the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) they then relocated to Selayang, Gombak District during the 1950s, when the Malayan Communist Party rebels opposed the British authorities in Malaya.The rebels used assistance and support from indigenous Orang Asli people, the residents of the country's inland forest areas.