The history of the Muzium Orang Asli Jeli began in 1987, originally established as a modest wooden building known as the Pusat Pameran dan Kraftangan Orang Asli (Orang Asli Exhibition and Handicraft Center). The vision for the museum was initiated by Dr. Baharon Azhar Bin Raffie’i, the 4th Director General of the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA), who sought to preserve the vanishing traditions of the indigenous tribes. In 2011, the facility underwent a significant upgrade and was officially renamed the Muzium Orang Asli Jeli. The museum serves as a critical research and education hub, providing authentic information about the Jahai and Temiar tribes—the two largest indigenous groups in the Jeli district. It also highlights the legal status and rights of the community as protected under the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954. Today, it remains a "living history" center, documenting the lifestyle, medicine, and spiritual beliefs of Malaysia's oldest inhabitants.