The Sarawak Dayak of Malaysia

The Sarawak Dayak of Malaysia, numbering approximately 31,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an indigenous Austronesian community of Sarawak, Malaysia. Although culturally and linguistically diverse, they share historical ties to the interior regions of Borneo and a common Dayak identity. They mostly adhere to Animism and Bau Bidayuh is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Sarawak Dayak

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Malaysia
People Cluster: Borneo-Kalimantan
Primary Language(s): Bau Bidayuh (sne)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 31,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG009324
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Pray for the Sarawak Dayak of Malaysia

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

60%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Bau Bidayuh
Language Family: Austronesian

95%
%
Bidayuh, Bau Speakers

Media Resources in Bau Bidayuh:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Bau Bidayuh:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Bau Bidayuh bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Sarawak Dayak are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Sarawak Dayak:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Sarawak Dayak of Malaysia

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
readIsaiah 40:8

Pray that those who don't know Jesus will be freed from the emptiness of fading hopes and find lasting life and truth in the unchanging Word of God.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
readRomans 2:4

Pray that, in God's kindness and according to His nature, He will lead many to repentance.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
read1 Corinthians 3:7

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be unified in making disciples and be used by God to further His kingdom near and far.

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
readMatthew 7:28-29

Pray that God will remind believers that they have His authority as they share His truth with the lost, and pray He will draw crowds of people to this message and plant it deeply in their hearts.

Dayak, Sarawak Across Countries (ROP3 - 108720) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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