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Saturday, July 10, 2004
Borneo


SarawakProvides you information on Borneo which includes Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan, Brunei and Kalimantan.

Sabah

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ARTICLES

Bajau / Sama

The Bajau people are the second largest indigenous group in Sabah is the Bajau, a collective term for a predominantly Muslim people and their kindred groups. Originally seafarers, there are now two distinct groups, the East Coast Bajau and West Coast Bajau. The West Coast Bajau have now settled down around the Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud

The Bajau or Sama, as they are called in some places, are Austronesian peoples who speak languages from the Sama Family of Languages. Traditionally, they were maritime communities who inhabited the seas and coasts of Borneo, the southern Philippines and some of the Indonesian islands, and beyond. Over the centuries, Bajau fishermen have also periodically visited the coast of northwest Australia in search of trepang and other marine creatures. In Sabah, Malaysia, many Bajau communities have settled on land, in coastal areas, and have acculturated some of the practices of neighbouring indigenous land peoples, such as rice planting and the rearing of water buffaloes. Bajau/Sama communities have very rich cultures in terms of music, handicrafts (including boat building), oral history and other traditions, and are historically important in transmitting ideas and artifacts amongst other Austronesian communities in the region. Nowadays, many Bajau are educated and work in the civil service and private business sector

The Southern Sama of Malaysia live along the coastal strips of northeastern Sabah on the island of Borneo. They are a subgroup of a much larger group of Sama. They speak the Sama Sibutu dialect of the Sama-Bajau language. They are a maritime people, with fishing being their major economic activity. They also engage in seafaring trade and some farming. Throughout much of the area, copra (dried coconut meat yielding coconut oil) is the major cash crop. Settlements consist of densely clustered houses situated along well-protected stretches of shoreline. In some places, houses are built directly over the sea, but in other places, they are located along the beach front. If over the water, they are connected by planks or narrow bridges. Built on stilts one to three meters above the ground or high-water mark, houses usually have one rectangular room with an attached kitchen. Households are grouped into larger units called tumpuks (clusters), which are located near one another and are related by close kinship ties with the tumpuk spokesman as the household head and in some instances coincide with the parishes, whose members belong to a single mosque.

The Sama are known for their traditional dances, songs, percussion and xylophone music, dyed mats and food covers, and wood carvings. The Sama are almost all Sunni Muslims. They still retain some of their traditional ethnic religious beliefs. Spirits of the dead are thought to remain in the vicinity of their graves, requiring expressions of continued concern from the living. Some graves have reportedly become the sources of miracle working power. During the month of Shaaban, it is said that God permits the souls of the dead (roh) to return to this world. To honor them, the living offer special prayers to the dead and clean the graves.

The Bajau people are the second largest indigenous group in Sabah is the Bajau, a collective term for a predominantly Muslim people and their kindred groups. Originally seafarers, there are now two distinct groups, the East Coast Bajau and West Coast Bajau. The West Coast Bajau have now settled down around the Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud areas and have learnt the art of farming and cattle rearing. They are the famous cowboys of Sabah. Their skills in horsemanship are well known locally and on festive occasions both horses and riders are dressed in colourful costumes. On the east coast however many of the Sea Bajaus still live in the traditional way. Fishing is the main activity. While many have settled on land or in water villages, some are still nomadic boat dwellers. The Bajau are skilled fishermen though there are linguistic and culture differences between those living on the West Coast are predomonaatly farmers and the Bajau, well known for their skilled horsemanship, have been dubbed "cowboys of the east". They are expert "horsemen" rearing ponies, buffaloes and cattle as well as on festival occasions respledent in their colourful costumes riding brightly decorated ponies.






 


Posted at 04:48 pm by zawawitj

Mohd Ridza
April 4, 2008   12:17 PM PDT
 
I'm looking for the background of Bajau population in Sabah and its economy activities...
SyAk!LlA(95)
February 10, 2008   09:57 PM PST
 
AYT KRGN SUNGGUH DRAMATIK...
BAGUSSS....

Name
June 4, 2005   03:01 PM PDT
 
bagusssss.....................
Name
June 4, 2005   03:01 PM PDT
 
bagus.......
 

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