Bajau people

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The Bajau (/bd/, also spelled Badjao, Bajaw, Bajao, Bajo, Badjau, or
Badjaw), and also known as Sama or Samal, are a Moro indigenous ethnic
group of Maritime Southeast Asia. The Bajau live a seaborne lifestyle, and use small
wooden sailing vessels such as the perahu and vinta.
The Bajau are traditionally from the many islands of the Sulu Archipelago in
the Philippines, as well as parts of the coastal areas of Mindanao and northern
Borneo. In the last 50 years, many of the Filipino Bajau have migrated to
neighbouring Malaysia and the northern islands of the Philippines, due to the
conflict in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. As of 2007, they were the
second-largest ethnic group in the Malaysian state of Sabah, making up 13.4%[1] of
the total population. Groups of Bajau have also migrated to Sulawesi and North
Kalimantan in Indonesia, although their exact population is unknown.[3]
Bajau have sometimes been called the "Sea Gypsies", a term that has also been
used for non-related ethnic groups with similar traditional lifestyles, such as
the Moken of the Burmese-Thai Mergui Archipelago and the Orang Laut of
southeastern Sumatra and the Riau Islands of Indonesia. The modern outward
spread of the Bajau from older inhabited areas seems to have been associated with
the development of sea trade in sea cucumber (trepang).
Term
Like the term Kadazan-dusun, Bajau is a collective term, used to describe several
closely related indigenous groups. These Bajau groups also blend culturally with
the Sama groups into what is most properly called the SamaBajau people.
Historically the term "Sama" was used to describe the more land-oriented and
settled SamaBajau groups, while "Bajau" was used to describe the more seaoriented, boat-dwelling, nomadic groups. Even these distinctions are fading as the
majority of Bajaus have long since abandoned boat living, most for Samastyle
piling houses in the coastal shallows. Today, the greatest feature distinguishing the
"Bajau" from the "Sama" is their poverty.
The SamaBajau peoples speak some ten languages of the SamaBajau subgroup
of the Western Malayo-Polynesian language family.[4]
History
A Bajau flotilla in Lahad Datu,Sabah, Malaysia

The exact origin of the word "Bajau" is unclear. It is generally accepted that these
groups of people can be termed Bajau, though they never call themselves Bajau.
Instead, they call themselves with the names of their tribes, usually the place they
live or place of origin. They accept the term Bajau because they realise that they
share some vocabulary and general genetic characteristic.
British administrators in Sabah classified the Sama as "Bajau" and labelled them as
such in their birth certificates. During their time in Malaysia, some have started
labelling themselves as their ancestors called themselves, such as Simunul. For
political reasons and to ensure easy access to the special privileges granted to
ethnic Malays, many have started calling themselves Malay. This is especially true
for recent Moro Filipino migrants.
For most of their history, the Bajau have been a nomadic, seafaring people, living
off the sea by trading and subsistence fishing. [5] The boat dwelling Bajau see
themselves as non-aggressive people. They kept close to the shore by erecting
houses on stilts, and traveled using lepa-lepa, handmade boats which many lived
in.[5] Although historically originating from the southern Philippine coasts, Sabahan
Sama legend narrates that they are descended from members of the royal guard of
the Johor Sultanate, after the fall of the Malacca Empire, who settled along the east
coast of Borneo after being driven there by storms. Another version goes that a
Johorean princess was washed away by a flood. In his grief her father ordered his
subjects to sea to return only when they had found his daughter.
However, there are traces that Sama people came from Riau Archipelago especially
Lingga Island more than 300 years ago. It is believed by some that the migration
process of Samah to North West Borneo took place more than 100 years earlier,
starting from trade with the Empire of Brunei (the Johorean princess who in the
origin myth was a royal bride being sent to Sulu but was kidnapped by the Prince of
Brunei). With the overthrow of the legitimate Sultan of Johor by Bugis conquerors,
the Sama people fled to the western coast of North Borneo, where they felt safe to
live under the protection of the Brunei Sultanate. That is why native KadazanDusun call Sama people as "tuhun" or "tulun Sama ("people of Sama") in their
dialects, the form of recognition before the arrival of westerners. It was believed
that Sama people are not from the royalty of the Sultanate, but loyal workers,
craftsmen, boat builders and farmers that fled from cruelty of ethnic cleansing in
chaotic Johor during aggression of the Bugis taking over the throne of Johor.
Bajau woman and children
Today the number of Bajau who are born and live primarily at sea is diminishing,
partially due to hotly debated government programs which have moved Bajau on to
the mainland.[5] Currently, there exists a huge settlement of Filipino Bajau in Pulau

Gaya, off the Sabah coast. Many of them are illegal immigrants on the Malaysian
island. With the island as a base, they frequently enter Sabah and find jobs as
manual labourers.
Discrimination of Bajau (particularly from the dominant Tausg people, who have
historically viewed them as 'inferior', and less specifically from the
majority Christian Filipinos)[6] and the continuing violence in Muslim Mindanao, have
driven many Bajau to begging, or to emigrate. They usually resettle in Malaysia and
Indonesia, where they are less discriminated against.[7][8]
Demographics and religion
The various Bajau sub-groups vary culturally, linguistically, and religiously. Religion
can vary from a strict adherence to Sunni Islam, forms of folk Islam, to animistic
beliefs in spirits and ancestor worship. There is a small minority of Catholics.
Sub-groups[edit]
Commonly, many sub-groups of Badjao are named after the place or island they
live-in for many years. Even though they are called Bajau, each sub-groups has
their own unique language, cultures and tradition. However, certain sub-groups are
able to understand the languages of other sub-groups. For example, some Bajau
understand the Bajau Ubian language, and the Bajau Ubian and Simunul in Sabah
are able to understand and speak the Tausug language called the Suluk language in
Sabah. The general terms for the native languages of the Bajau is ahasa ajau or
Sinama.
Lists of Bajau sub-groups:
1. Ubian Originate from the island South Ubian in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines and
make up the largest Bajau sub-group in Sabah. They reside in sizable
minorities living around the towns of Kudat and Semporna in Sabah,
Malaysia.
2. Bannaran - Another subgroup of Bajau originated from Bannaran Island in
Tawi-Tawi. Mostly found in Kudat, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.
3. Sama - Commonly known as Bajau Kota Belud, because most of them live
in or near area of Kota Belud, Sabah. This is actually a misnomer as they can
be found all over the west coast of the state, and not just in Kota Belud.
They call themselves Sama, not Bajau and their neighbours, the Dusuns also
call them Sama, not Bajau. British administrators originally defined them as
Bajau.
4. Samah/Sama Sulawesi Selatan' (Malaysia)[9]

Colorful non-traditional designs on the vinta boats of the Samal

peoplefrom Samal Island, Philippines. Traditionally, vintas feature
distinctive vertical bands and triangles of bright colors
5. Simunul Simunul people can be found at Kampung Bokara, Sandakan,
Semporna and Lahad Datu Towns. Simunul is an island in Tawi-Tawi where
many Sama Simunul are still found and are the majority there. They are
known among the Bajau group for having fair skin.
6. Samal (Philippines, Malaysia) A group native to the Philippines, a large
number are now residing around the coasts of northern Sabah, though many
have also migrated north to the seas around the Visayas and southernLuzon.
The Samal are sometimes considered distinct from the other Bajau. [8]
[10]
They are the largest single group of Bajau.[11]
7. Bajau Suluk - This sub-group, of mixed heritage Bajau and Tausug, live
mostly in Kudat, and have origins in the Philippines, hence, although living
among Malay peoples for a substantial part of their history, are also able to
converse in the Tausug and Samal languages.
8. Tando' Bas - This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before the 1970s.
They had recently migrated to Sabah from a place called Tando Bas in the
Sulu Archipelago.
9. Ungus Matata - This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before the 1970s.
They had recently migrated to Sabah from a place called Ungus Matata in
the Sulu Archipelago.
10.

Tolen - This sub-group was found only at Bum-bum island, in

Semporna, Sabah. No trace of them anywhere else even in the Sulu
Archipelago.

11.

Pala'u or Bajau Laut - The word Pala'u in Bajau means boat-dwelling,

but is by many Bajau Laut considered derogatory, why they prefer the term
Bajau Laut. This sub-group originally lived on boats all the time but almost
all have taken to living on land in the Philippines. In Malaysia the boatdwelling culture has been retained by some, but many others have built
homes on land.

12.

Tabawan (Sulu, Malaysia) This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah

before the 1970s. They have recently migrated to Sabah from an island
called Tabawan, Tawi-tawi, Philippines. They are now numerous in Sabah.

13.

Banguingui or Balangingi Samal (Philippines, Malaysia) Native to

the Philippines, where the majority still live. This sub-group was rarely found
in Sabah before the 1970s. Some have recently migrated to Sabah. The

Balanguingui were once slavers and pirates during the 16th to 19th
centuries, capturing people from other nearby ethnic groups and often
integrating them into their own culture.[12]
14.

Sikubung People from this sub-group were rare in Sabah before the
1970s. They have recently migrated to Sabah.

In Sarawak there are a number of Iban named Bajau (e.g. Beransah Bajau, Hillary
Bajau)
The obvious migration pattern after 1970 is the obvious fallout of the armed
fighting
between
major Moro groups
and
Settler
militia
and Philippine
Navy disrupting the traditional sea routes of the sea loving Badjau.
Religion[edit]
Religions of Bajaus[13]
Religion
Islam

Percent

95.26%

Christianity

0.52%

Folk religion /
Other religions

0.08%

No religion /

Unknown

4.14%

Claims to religious piety and learning are an important source of individual prestige
among the coastal Bajau. Some of the Bajau lack mosques and must rely on the
shore-based communities such as those of the more Islamized or Malay peoples.
The Ubian Bajau, due to their nomadic marine lifestyle, are much less adherent to
orthodox Islam, and practice more of a syncretic folk hybrid, revering local sea
spirits, known in Islamic terminology as Jinn.
Culture
The Regatta Lepa festival in Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia. Lepa means "boat" in the
dialect of east coast Bajau. In this festival, Bajau people decorate their boats with
colorful flags.
The rehabilitation of a traditional Bajau house in the Heritage Village of Kota
Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Many Bajaus of the east coast retain their seaborne lifestyle, together with
remnants of traditional pre-Islamic beliefs. Traditional Bajau communities may have
a dukun (i.e. a shaman) and may adhere to taboos concerning the treatment of the
sea and other cultural aspects. 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 Sabah Bajau
are
also
famous
for
the
annual Semporna Regatta.
Among the boat-dwellers in particular, community spirit mediums are consulted at
least once a year for a public sance 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.
It has been suggested by some researchers that Bajau people's visits to Arnhem
Land gave rise to the accounts of the mysterious Baijini|Jinn people in the myths of
Australia's Yolngu Aboriginals.[14]
Bajau fishermen make use of wooden sailing vessels known as perahu lambo for
voyages as far as Timor and Arafura seas.[15] The construction and launch of these
craft are ritualized, and the vessels are believed to have a spirit (Sumanga').
[15]
Under a 1974 Memorandum of Understanding, "Indonesian traditional fishermen"
are allowed to fish within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Australia, which includes
traditional fishing grounds of Bajau fishers. However, illegal fishing encroachment of
Corporate Sea Trawlers in these areas has led to concern about overfishing[16] and
destruction of Bajau vessels.[15]
Bajaus are also noted for their exceptional abilities in free-diving, with physical
adaptations that enable them to see better and dive longer underwater.[17] Divers
work long days with the "greatest daily apnea diving time reported in humans" of
greater than 5 hours per day submerged. [18] Some Bajau intentionally rupture their
eardrums at an early age in order to facilitate diving and hunting at sea. Many older
Bajau are therefore hard of hearing.[5][17]
The West Coast Bajau are expert equestrians this is their main claim to fame in
Malaysia, where horse riding has never been widespread anywhere else. Bajau
people are also well known for weaving and needlework skills.
Bajau have a unique type of dance called the Pangigal. It is common in wedding
ceremonies for native communities throughout Malaysia and the Sulu Archipelago.
This dance is most famously danced to the music Dayang-dayang. Numerous Music
Videos of the Pangigal songs and dances have been produced in Malaysia and
distributed throughout Sabah and in the Sulu Archipelago.

Notable Bajau

Mat Salleh (Datu Muhammad Salleh) - Sabah warrior from Inanam during the
British administration of North Borneo.

Tun Datu Mustapha (Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun) - First Yang diPertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah and third Chief Minister of Sabah.

Tun Said Keruak (Tun Datu Mohamad Said Keruak) - Former Chief Minister of
Sabah and Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah from Kota Belud.

Datuk Seri Panglima Salleh Said Keruak (Datu Mohd Salleh bin Tun Mohd
Said Keruak) - Former Chief Minister of Sabah from Kota Belud.

Tun Sakaran Dandai - Former Chief Minister of Sabah and Yang di-Pertua
Negeri (Governor) of Sabah from Semporna.

Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah - Ninth Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah

from Inanam

Dato' Mohd Nasir Tun Sakaran (Dato' Mohd Nasir bin Tun Sakaran Dandai) Sabah politican from Semporna.

Datuk Seri Hj Mohd Shafie Bin Apdal (Dato' Seri Hj Mohd Shafie Bin Apdal) Malaysian minister.

Osu Sukam (Datu Seri Panglima Osu bin Sukam) - Former Chief Minister of
Sabah from Papar.

Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia - Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Parliament of
Malaysia

Askalani Abdul Rahim (Datuk Askalani Bin Abdul Rahim) - Former Minister of
Culture, Youth and Sports Semporna.

Adam AF2 (Aizam Mat Saman) - Malaysian singer and actor, grandson of Tun
Ahmadshah Abdullah.

Norayu (Ayu) Damit - Malaysian singer and One in a Million (Season

2) champion.

Yanie (Siti Suriane Julkarim) - Malaysian singer in the popular TV shows

of Mentor on TV3.

Wawa Zainal Abidin - Malaysian actress.

Matlan Marjan - Former Malaysian football player and the former Sabah
FA captain.

See also

Laut people

Pulau Gaya

SamaBajaw languages

Sama

References
1.

^ Jump up to:a b "Monthly Statistical Bulletin, January 2007: Sabah",

Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sabah.ISSN 18231659

2.

Jump up^ Kauman Sama Online. "What Language do the Badjao

Speak?". Retrieved 2013-02-23.

3.

Jump up^ Lotte Kemkens. Living on Boundaries: The Orang Bajo of

Tinakin Laut, Indonesia (Social Anthropology Bachelor's thesis). University of
Utrecht. Retrieved March 21, 2011.

4.

Jump up^ Clifford Sather, "The Bajau Laut", Oxford U. Press, 1997

5.

^ Jump up to:a b c d "The last of the sea nomads". The Guardian.

September 18, 2010. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010.
Retrieved September 18, 2010.

6.

Jump up^ Mellie Leandicho Lopez (2006). A handbook of Philippine

folklore. UP Press. p. 50. ISBN 971-542-514-3.

7.

Jump up^ Twilight of the Sea People, Vol. III (2), Philippine Center of
Investigative Journalism, June 2001, retrieved March 21, 2011

8.

^ Jump up to:a b Edsel L. Beja (2006). Negotiating globalization in

Asia. Ateneo de Manila University Press. p. 286.ISBN 971-0426-01-X.

9.

Jump up^ Manusia Bugis, Christian Pelras, ISBN 979-99395-0-X,

translated from "The Bugis", Christian Pelras, 1996, Oxford:Blackwell
Publishers Ltd.

10.

Jump up^ Harry Nimmo (1972). The sea people of Sulu: a study of
social change in the Philippines. Chandler Pub. Co.ISBN 0-8102-0453-3.

11.

Jump up^ "Samal Orientation". Countries and Their Cultures.

Retrieved June 17, 2011.

12.

Jump up^ James Francis Warren (2007). The Sulu zone, 17681898:
the dynamics of external trade, slavery, and ethnicity in the transformation
of a Southeast Asian maritime state. NUS Press. p. 184. ISBN 9971-69-3860.

13.

Jump up^ "2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia"(in

Malay and English). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. Retrieved 2012-0617. p. 107

14.

Jump up^ Berndt, Ronald Murray; Berndt, Catherine Helen

(1954).Arnhem Land: its history and its people. Volume 8 of Human
relations area files: Murngin. F. W. Cheshire. p. 34.

15.

^ Jump up to:a b c Stacey, Natasha (2007). Boats to burn: Bajo fishing

activity in the Australian fishing zone. Canberra, Australia: ANU E
Press. ISBN 978-1-920942-95-3.

16.

Jump up^ Field, I.C., Meekan, M.G., Buckworth, R.C., Bradshaw,

C.J.A. (2009). "Protein mining the worlds oceans: Australasia as an example
of illegal expansion-and-displacement fishing". Fish and Fisheries 10:
323.doi:10.1111/j.1467-2979.2009.00325.x.

17.

^ Jump up to:a b Megan Lane (January 12, 2011), What freediving

does to the body, BBC News, archived from the original on March 18, 2011,
retrieved March 21, 2011

18.

Jump up^ Schagatay E, Lodin-Sundstrm A, Abrahamsson E (March

2011). "Underwater working times in two groups of traditional apnea divers
in Asia: the Ama and the Bajau".Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine : the
Journal of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society 41 (1): 27
30.PMID 21560982. Retrieved 2013-06-14.

Further reading[edit]

Franois-Robert Zacot (2009). "Peuple nomade de la mer ,les Badjos

d'Indonsie", ditions Pocket, collection Terre Humaine, Paris

External links[edit]

Badjao Bridge - Providing educational opportunities for Badjao children in

Dauis, Bohol

Born Again Badjao Church A mission church to Badjaos living along the
coastline of Batangas City, Philippines

Tamu Besar, Kota Belud

"The Badjao people of Palawan Island" by Antonio Graceffo

"A true account of living with the Bajau Sea Gypsies" by Brad Bernard

Bahasa Sama-Bajau

"Youtube- AWIT BADJAO""

Categories:

Moro

Muslim communities of the Philippines

Ethnic groups in Brunei

Ethnic groups in Indonesia

Ethnic groups in Malaysia

Ethnic groups in Sabah

Modern nomads