only collect what they need from the sea for a day.

They believe that signs of materialism and accumulation of wealth meant that they would settle down and loose their core values. Everything that they own they carry within their, kabang or boat. However, this passive way of living lightly on the land was disrupted in 1945 when the Malaysian government began to insist that the Moken become “civilized citizens” of the country. The government create a village, Pula Nala Island, where the Moken could settle down. The village consisted of souvenir shops, a monastery, a school, a hospital, and a fuel depot.