The Bajau are an indigenous ethnic group residing in Sabah, eastern Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and parts of Sarawak. They are the second largest ethnic group in Sabah, making up 13.2% of the total population of the state. They were sometimes referred to as the Sea Gypsies, although the term has been used to encompass a number of non-related ethnic groups with similar traditional lifestyles. The Bajau of Indonesia live primarily on the islands and in the coastal districts of Sulawesi. The outward spread of the Bajau seems to have been associated with the development of sea trade in trepang. The indigenous peoples of Asia are the various groups identified as indigenous peoples within the region, as per the modern definition of that term. ... State motto: Sabah Maju Jaya State anthem: Sabah Tanah Airku Capital Kota Kinabalu Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Ahmadshah Abdullah  - Ketua Menteri Musa Aman History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - British North Borneo 1882   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 76... State motto: United, Industrious, Dedicated (Malay: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti ) Capital Kuching Governor T.Y.T Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Chief Minister Y.A.B. Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Bin Mahmud / Pehin Sri Dr. Hj. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Moken. ... Sulawesi (formerly Celebes ) is a large island in Indonesia. ... // ...

Term

Like the term Kadazan-dusun, Bajau is a collective term, used to describe several closely related indigenous groups. Kadazan-Dusun is term associated with two Malaysian indigenous tribes in Sabah. ...

History

For most of their history, the Bajau have been a nomadic, seafaring people, living off the sea by trading and subsistence fishing. The boat dwelling Bajau see themselves as non-aggressive people. They kept close to shore by erecting houses on stilts, and traveled using lepa-lepa, a handmade boat which many lived in. They are thought to have originated from the Philippines-Sulawesi coasts (although Bajau legends state that they originated from members of the royal guard of the Sultan of Johor who settled along the east coast of Borneo after being driven there by storms. Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ... Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... State Motto: Kepada Allah berserah (English: all hopes is to God (Allah) Capital Johor Bahru Royal Capital Pasir Pelangi Sultan Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj Chief minister Dato Abdul Ghani Othman Area 19,984 km² Population 3. ...

Currently, there exists a huge settlement of Filipino Bajaus in Pulau Gaya, off the Sabah coast. They are illegal immigrants in the Malaysian island. With the island as a base, they frequently enter Sabah and find jobs as manual labourers. Pulau Gaya is a sizeable Malaysian island of 1,465 ha, just 10 minutes off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. ... State motto: Sabah Maju Jaya State anthem: Sabah Tanah Airku Capital Kota Kinabalu Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Ahmadshah Abdullah  - Ketua Menteri Musa Aman History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - British North Borneo 1882   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 76...

Demographics

The many Bajau sub-groups vary culturally and linguistically, but are unified through their Sunni Islam religion of the Shafi'i school. Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... The Šāfiˤī madhab (Arabic: شافعي) is one of the four schools of fiqh, or religious law, within Sunni Islam. ...

Religion

Claims to religious piety and learning are an important source of individual prestige, and salip (descendants of the Prophet Mohammed) are shown special honour.Because of their nomadic lifestyle, some of the Bajau lack mosques and must rely on the shore-based communities. For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ...

Culture

The Bajau people are also well known for weaving and needlework skills

Lifestyle

A sea-going Bajau community can also be found on the island of Mabul, near to Sipadan which is famous as a scuba-diving destination. Many of the Mabul island Bajau still live on their boats, although some have built houses on stilts.

However, many Bajau have now chosen to leave behind their seafaring ways, and live entirely on land. They are primarily found on the west coast of Borneo around the Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud areas. The west coast Bajau took to farming and cattle-rearing for a living, and have the nickname of “Cowboys of the East”, in tribute to their equestrian skills. Kota Belud has an annual Tamu Besar festival where the much-touted horsemanship of the Bajau is on display. Nickname: KK Location in Malaysia Country Malaysia State Sabah Establishment Granted city status on 2nd February 2000 Mayor Datuk Illiyas Ibrahim Area    - City km² Population    - City (2000) 470,000 (City), 900,000 (Metropolitan) approx. ... Kota Belud is a town located in West Coast Division, in the center of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. ...

Mythology

Many Bajaus of the east coast retain their seaborne lifestyle, together with remnants of traditional pre-Islamic beliefs. An example of this is the offering of thanks to the Omboh Dilaut, the God of the Sea, whenever a particularly large catch is brought in. The east coast Bajau are also famous for the annual Semporna Regatta. Semporna is a town located in Tawau Division, in the east of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. ...

Among the boat-dwellers in particular, community spirit mediums are consulted at least once a year for a public séance and nightly trance dancing. In times of epidemics, the mediums are also called upon to remove illness causing spirits from the community. They do this by setting a "spirit boat" adrift in the open sea beyond the village or anchorage. A séance (pronounced: ) is, on its most basic level, an attempt to communicate with the dead. ... An altered state of consciousness is any state which is significantly different from a normative waking beta wave state. ...

See also

• Pulau Gaya

Pulau Gaya is a sizeable Malaysian island of 1,465 ha, just 10 minutes off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. ...

External links

• Tamu Besar, Kota Belud

Philippine tribes | List
Bajau | Cordillerano/Igorot | Lumad/Mindanao hilltribes | Mangyan | Negrito (Aeta, Ati) | Palawan tribes