Sampan panjang was a type of Malay fast boat from the 19th century. It was used especially by the sampan-men, or "Orang Laut". Historically, they can be found in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. This type of boat was used by Malay people as racing boat and as transport boat. The sampan panjang appeared at the first quarter of the 19th century, and disappeared at the turn of that century. These boats proved to be superior than European boats in racing purposes; they were easy winners when racing against the European yachts of that time.
A Malay perahu near Singapore.
The pleasure boat of the rajah of Johore, 1851.
The Orang Laut are several seafaring ethnic groups and tribes living around Singapore, peninsular Malaysia and the Indonesian Riau Islands. The Orang Laut are commonly identified as the Orang Seletar from the Straits of Johor, but the term may also refer to any Malayic-speaking people living on coastal islands, including those of Mergui Archipelago islands of Myanmar and Thailand, commonly known as Moken.
An Orang Laut family living in a boat, circa 1914–1921.
An Orang Laut woman in Solok, Jambi southern Sumatra
House barges of the Orang Laut off the coast of Jambi and Riau, Dutch East Indies, circa 1914–1921.
Villages of Orang Laut in Riau Islands.
