Melanau
Total population	510,000
Regions with significant populations	Sarawak coastal region
Language	Melanau Melanau language Melanau is an Austronesian language spoken in the coastal area of the Rejang delta on northwest Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia and Brunei. There are several dialects—Mukah-Oya, Balingian, Bruit, Dalat, Igan, Sarikei, Segahan, Prehan, Segalang, and Siteng....  & Malay Malay language Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
Religion	Islam Islam Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...  & Christianity Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

The Melanau are a people who live on the island of Borneo

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

, primarily in Sarawak

Sarawak

Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...

, Malaysia, but also in Kalimantan

Kalimantan

In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....

, Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak, and speak a Northwest Malayo-Polynesian language

Malayo-Polynesian languages

The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. These are widely dispersed throughout the island nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia...

 (see Melanau language

Melanau language

Melanau is an Austronesian language spoken in the coastal area of the Rejang delta on northwest Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia and Brunei. There are several dialects—Mukah-Oya, Balingian, Bruit, Dalat, Igan, Sarikei, Segahan, Prehan, Segalang, and Siteng....

).

Origins

The Melanau were in the 19th Century, settled in scattered communities along the main tributaries of the Rajang River in Central Sarawak. Melanau or problematic Kajang http://punan.info/content/view/85/126/ speaking tribes such as the Sekapan, the Rajang, the Tanjung and the Kanowits gradually moved and assimilated into Dayak migrations settling in the Rajang. The Punan http://punan.info/content/view/89/119/ (or Punan Bah) today are closely linked to the last riverine dwelling Melanau communities previously inhabiting the middle and upper Rejang tributaries. The Kajang language is kept relatively alive by the isolated Sekapan communities Kapit division of Sarawak.

The Melanau are considered among the earliest settlers in Sarawak. The name Melanau was not used by the Melanau to refer to themselves until recently. They call themselves a-likou meaning 'people of the river'. Legend has it that the name Melanau was given by one of the Sultans of Brunei to the inhabitants of the coastal swamp flats and riverbanks of central Sarawak.

Eda Green, writing in 1909, referred to "...the Milanaus, whose girls are as fair as any Europeans and the belles of Borneo."

Divisions

Grouping-wise,the Melanaus can be classified into the followings;-1) Melanau Mukah

Mukah

Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia, is a coastal town which serves as the administrative center of the Mukah District in Mukah Division, Sarawak. It is located by the South China Sea, about 2.5 hours by road from the town of Sibu. Mukah is also accessible by air by MASwings from Kuching and Miri. The...

,2) Melanau Dalat

Dalat

Đà Lạt , or Dalat, is the capital of Lam Dong province in Vietnam. The city is located above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau in the southern parts of the Central Highlands...

,3) Melanau Oya, 4)Melanau Matu

Matu

Matu may refer to:* Matu, Sarawak - small town in Malaysia* Matuu - god from Polynesian mythology* Matu - You can see more about in Matupi. The second capital city of Chin State in Myanmar....

-Daro

Daro

Daro is a district and small town in Mukah Division, Sarawak, east Malaysia. The nearest town to Daro is Matu. Daro is under the Majlis Daerah Matu-Daro which share the same council together with Matu. The population in Daro is estimated around 25,000, with Melanau making up the majority...

,5) Melanau Belawai-Rajang,6) Melanau Ba'ie (Bintulu

Bintulu

Bintulu is a coastal town, and the capital of Bintulu District in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is about 650 kilometers from Kuching and about 215 kilometers from either Sibu or Miri....

),7) Melanau Balingian and 8) Melanau Miri

Miri

Miri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is the second largest city in Sarawak, with a population of about 300,000, and the government administrative centre of Miri District in Miri Division....

;the largest being the Matu-Daro group. Each group has its own characteristic dialect but they all share the same cultural and lingual background (Exception would be the Melanau Bintulu dialect which can hardly be understood by the rest. Many linguists feel that it hardly fits into the Melanau language grouping). The Melanau languages have been divided in the following eleven dilects: 1)Mukah, 2)Balingian, 3)Oya, 4)Dalat, 5)Matu-Daro, 6)Rajang, 7)Kanowit, 8)Sibu, 9)Bintulu, 10)Seru and 11)Tanjong.

Another Melanau group worth mentioning and inclusion is the Melanau Igan. They live in kampungs by Igan River (example : Kampung Skrang, Kampung Tengah, Kampung Hilir.) that borders the Mukah - (Matu-Daro) district. The main language is Melanau.However some speak local Malay dilect. This group of Melanau is probably all Muslims. They mainly adopt the Malay culture eventhough some of the Melanau cultures are still being maintained.It's believed that this group was originally Malays who settled in the area. However, mixed intermarriages with the Melanaus over generations produced new generations who considered themselves Melanaus.

Similar to the Igan Melanaus ancestral beginnings, many Melanaus who had migrated to different areas in Sarawak experienced the same transformation. A group of Matu Melanaus settled in Bintawa area in Kuching after World War 2. However their offsprings, eventhough mostly Melanaus by blood, normally donot speak the language. They are considered as Malays. However as a point of interest, the new secondary school built in Bintawa Kuching in 2007 is named SMK Matu Baru. Many areas in Kuching notably Petra Jaya, Lundu and Santubong do have a significant Melanau population. Miri the oil town, Bintulu the gas town, Sibu the riverine town are also places where there is a significant Melanau population. However the 'Bin' which mean "son of" and 'Binti', meaning "daughter of" factors in all their names (be they are Muslim, Christian or "Likou") had probably confused the census workers (read the following paragraph). One of the reasons the Muslim Melanau 'migrated' to become Malay is that during the registration of birth of the new borns, they will automatically being assumed as Malay if the parents don't inform the Birth&Death Registertion officer of their racial preferance .

Culture & economy

The Melanau were traditionally fishermen as well as padi and sago farmers. Some were skilled boat builders. They used to live in tall stilted and long houses, but nowadays, they live in a Malaysian kampung-style houses (individual & separated houses). Because of religious similarity, the majority of Melanaus live socially and culturally like the rest of the Malays in Malaysia.

It is one of the rare ethnic groups in Malaysia which hardly grows or increases in its population. This is because the Muslim Melanaus that have migrated to bigger towns in Sarawak have "automatically" become Malays especially during the National Census Operation as their names (and many times the language the elders use with their children at homes) are inseparable from the Sarawak local Malays. This has helped the Malay population of Sarawak to have significantly increased in the census.

All the Melanaus have a 'Bin' (son of) and 'Binti' (daughter of) in their names similar to the Malays and it is also likely that the Christian Melanaus too were designated as Malays in the census.

The current population statistics showed the Melanaus at about 96,000. However amongst the Bumiputeras or ethnic groups in Sarawak, Malaysia, the Melanaus has the highest population growth the last 5 years. The continuous 'cross-breeding' through inter-marriages between the Melanaus and other races in Malaysia has also caused the mysterious disappearance of the Melanau identity. Data from some private research estimated that the actual Melanau population (in Malaysia and outside Malaysia) is much higher.

Being migrants in the early days, Melanaus are found almost everywhere in Sarawak. Sadly, though their children know their roots,many of them cannot speak or even understand their Melanau languge.Intentionally or unintentionally, many of them registered themselves as other races, mostly as Malays. In some cases,their parents, both Melanaus, prefer to speak to their children using Malay or English. This language trend is mainly found in the towns and cities in Sarawak. There has been little efforts done to preserve the Melanau dialects and to teach the current Melanau generation continuous usage of their own dialects.

The gradual disappearance of the Melanau cultures and dialects is further aggravated by the absence of qualified Melanau staff members handling the documentation on the Melanaus cultures and history in the 'Majlis Adat Istiadat' department in Sarawak. This department is involved in the preservation and documentation of the cultures and histories of the various ethnic groups in Sarawak. The Melanaus are slowly being emulsified into other cultures. The Melanau Kaul festival

Kaul festival

Kaul is the Melanau annual "cleansing" when traditionally, uninvited spirits and other bad influences were escorted out of the village by a flotilla of boats, and ceremonial offerings of food, cigarettes and betel nut were set on the Seraheng at the river mouth.- The Beginning of Kaul...

 will only serve as a reminder of the Melanau Pagan ritual.

Religion

While originally animists

Animism

Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....

, the majority of the Melanaus are now Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

, although some of them, especially among the Melanau Mukah, Rajang and Dalat are Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

. Nonetheless, many still celebrate traditional rites such as the annual Kaul Festival

Kaul festival

Kaul is the Melanau annual "cleansing" when traditionally, uninvited spirits and other bad influences were escorted out of the village by a flotilla of boats, and ceremonial offerings of food, cigarettes and betel nut were set on the Seraheng at the river mouth.- The Beginning of Kaul...

. Despite their different beliefs and religions, the Melanaus, like the rest of East Malaysians (Sabah and Sarawak) are very tolerant of each other and they rightly feel proud of their tolerance. We would still come across a Melanau family with different child family members embracing Christianity and Islam while their parents still have strong animist belief.

Melanau Calendar

The Melanau have their own calendar which begins in March. The New Year is celebrated during the Kaul Festival

Kaul festival

Kaul is the Melanau annual "cleansing" when traditionally, uninvited spirits and other bad influences were escorted out of the village by a flotilla of boats, and ceremonial offerings of food, cigarettes and betel nut were set on the Seraheng at the river mouth.- The Beginning of Kaul...

.

Notable Melanau people

• Pangeran Matusin

Mukah Governor during Sultanate Brunei

Brunei

Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...

• Orang Kaya Selair

Leader of Matu district before and during reign of Brooke

James Brooke

James, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB was the first White Rajah of Sarawak. His father, Thomas Brooke, was an English Judge Court of Appeal at Bareilly, British India; his mother, Anna Maria, born in Hertfordshire, was the illegitimate daughter of Scottish peer Colonel William Stuart, 9th Lord Blantyre,...

 Dynasty

• Orang Kaya Srigunim

Women who become a leader of Jemoreng district during reign of Brooke Dynasty, killed during pregnancy by her rival

• Sawing

One of the Sharif Masahor army leader during attack on Kanowit

Kanowit

Kanowit is a town and the capital of a district of the same name, located within the Sibu Division, Sarawak, east Malaysia, comprising 2,253.5 square kilometers. As of 2002, Kanowit's population is 28,600. It is built on the mouth of Kanowit River at the bank of Rajang River, approximately...

 Fort 1859, who killed Henry Steel & Charles Fox

• Salakai

Sawing close friend who fought together during attack on Kanowit Fort 1859.

• Mohamad Taufan Mohamad Yassin

Social

Social

The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...

 Activist and editor

Editor in chief

An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...

 of malaysiagoblog.blogspot.com & asiandeftech.blogspot.com

• Abdul Taib Mahmud
  Abdul Taib Mahmud
  Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib bin Mahmud is the fourth and current Chief Minister of Sarawak. He is also the state Financial Minister and Planning and Resource Management Minister. Taib is the President of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu , which is part of the Barisan Nasional coalition...
  
   (also known as Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud)

The fourth and current longest serving Chief Minister of Sarawak, father of Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib

Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib

Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Taib is a former Deputy Tourism Minister of Malaysia.His father was Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, the current Chief Minister of Sarawak, while his mother was late Datuk Patinggi Hajjah Laila Taib, a...

, a politician & Mahmud Bekir Taib, corporate figure.

• Abdul Rahman Ya'kub
  Abdul Rahman Ya'kub
  Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman bin Ya'kub is a Malaysian politician of Melanau descent from Mukah. He was the third Chief Minister of Sarawak and the fourth Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak . He is also an uncle of Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, the current Chief Minister of Sarawak...
  
   (aka Tun Abdul Rahman Ya'kub)

The third Chief Minister of Sarawak, who preceded the current Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and the Fourth TYT (Governor) of Sarawak.

• Ahmad Zaidi Adruce Muhammad Nor
  Ahmad Zaidi Adruce
  Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Ahmad Zaidi Adruce bin Muhammed Noor was the fifth Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak . He was the longest serving Governor of Sarawak, from his appointment in 1985, to his death in 2000...
  
  

The fifth TYT of Sarawak.

• Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng
  Abang Muhammad Salahuddin
  Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin bin Abang Barieng is third and sixth Yang di-Pertua Negeri of the Malaysian state of Sarawak...
  
   (aka Tun Sallahuddin)

The sixth and current TYT of Sarawak.

• Mohd Effendi Norwawi
  Mohd Effendi Norwawi
  YB SENATOR DATO SRI EFFENDI NORWAWIExecutive Chairman of ENCORP BerhadFormer Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of The Economic Planning Unit, TheFormer Minister of Agriculture Malaysia...
  
   (aka Dato Seri Effendi Norwawi)

Former Minister in The Prime Minister Department (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration).

• Leo Michael Toyad
  Leo Michael Toyad
  Dato' Sri Muhammad Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Mukah constituency in Sarawak, representing the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.Toyad served as Deputy Minister for...
  
   (aka Datuk Sri Dr. Mohammad Leo Toyad)

Ex-Federal Minister(Foreign Affairs).Chairman, Sarawak Conventions Bureau.

• Wahab Dollah (aka Datuk Wahab Dollah)

Member of Parliament.

• Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib
  Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib
  Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Taib is a former Deputy Tourism Minister of Malaysia.His father was Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, the current Chief Minister of Sarawak, while his mother was late Datuk Patinggi Hajjah Laila Taib, a...
  
  

the son of Abdul Taib Mahmud. A Corporate figure who also Kota Samarahan Parliamentary Member.

• Datin Hjh Fatimah Abdullah@Ting Sai Ming.

DUN Assemblywoman and Minister of Welfare, Woman & Family Affair in the Sarawak state cabinet.Married to a well-known educationist. Deputy Chairman Women Organisation Sarawak.

• Datuk Hj Hamden Hj Ahmad

former DUN Assemblyman and Former Assistant Minister of Youth and Tourism.Corporate figure (Oil-palm plantation)

• Abu Seman Jahwie

DUN Assemblyman. Former Deputy Superintendent Customs. Secretary Party PBB Sarawak.

• Hang Tuah Merawin

Resident, Kapit Division.

• Hj Sarudu Hoklai

Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Planning(Sarawak). Former Resident, Mukah, Kota Samarahan and Kapit(Sarawak).

• Akit Sebli

Former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Tourism Sarawak.

• Datuk Hj Adi Badiozaman Tuah.

Well-known educationist. Former Education Director (Examinations)Malaysia. Director (Education) for Yayasan Islam Sarawak.

• Dr Haji Mohamad Topek Taufek Nahrawi

Businessman, Developer & Contractor, Former Deputy Chairman of SEDC, Academic

• Yusuf Hadi (aka Prof Datu Dr. Yusuf Hadi)

Academician UNIMAS.

• Sulaiman Hanapi (aka Prof. Dr. Sulaiman Hanapi)

Academician UNIMAS.

• Rashid Abdullah (aka Datuk Prof. Dr Rashid Abdullah)

Academician UNIMAS.

• Len Talip Salleh (aka Datu Len Salleh)

Forestry Expert; member of state legislative council (ADUN); Deputy Minister.

• Aloysius Dris (aka Datuk Aloysius Dris)

Director, Sarawak Tourism Board.

• Edmund Kurui.

Former Assistant Curator Sarawak Muzium.

• Hamid Sepawi (aka Datuk Hamid Sepawi)

Corporate Leader. CEO of Naim Cendera Group, well known property & housing developer and public listed company)

• Hasmi Hasnan (aka Datuk Hasmi Hasnan)

Corporate Leader. Managing Director of Naim Group

• Len Bubat

Melanau Song Composer/Producer (First Melanau Original Song Album 2002).

• Sahari Ubu

Staff Sergeant Royal Corps of Signal British Army 1962 Staff No 23895416.

Penghulu Kampung Nangka, Sibu.

• Rohani Abdullah (aka Prof Dr. Rohani Abdullah @ Josephine Yaman)

Academician UPM.

• Tuan Haji Mohamad Atei Abang Medaan

Mayor (Datuk Bandar) of Kuching North (Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara

Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara

Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara or The Commission of The City of Kuching North is a local authority which administers Kuching city centre and other areas. The agency is under Ministry of Environment, Sarawak...

 (DBKU))

• Datuk Dr Yusof Hanifah

Former Mayor of Kuching North (Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU))

• Mohd Hafiz Mohd Suip
  Hafiz AF7
  Mohd Hafiz Bin Mohd Suip , is a Malaysian singer, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of Akademi Fantasia, receiving 46 percent of over 4.2 million votes. His debut album, Masih Jelas, was released on July 14, 2009....
  
   (Hafiz)

Singer and winner of Akademi Fantasia, Season 7

Akademi Fantasia, Season 7

Akademi Fantasia, Season 7 is the seventh season of Akademi Fantasia which premiered in Astro Ria on March 9, 2009. The promotional catch phrase of this season is "Bring Out Your Self-Transformation"...

• Rapaee Kawi (a.k.a Apai or Mashor) (1958–2009)

Ex-Commando, Sarawak most senior national press photographer and the first Sarawakian to scale Mount Everest.(Sarawak Book of Amazing Facts And Records) On May 21, 2009, he died suddenly while undergoing a medical checkup at the Jalan Masjid Polyclinic in Kuching.

• Associate Professor Dr Haji Abdul Mutalip Abdullah

The former Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences UNIMAS

• Sharifah Zarina.

A singer most notable for her hit, "Langit Ke-7"

• Dr. Junaidi bin Hj. Diki

Pakar Perubatan Kesihatan Awam/ Timbalan Pengarah Perubatan HUS, Kuching.