The Tambunan Dusun of Malaysia

The Tambunan Dusun of Malaysia, numbering approximately 24,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are one of Sabah's largest Dusun subgroups, organized into seven sub-tribes including the Tuwawon and Tagahas, settled by explorers from Nunuk Ragang led by Gombunan, whose 1890s rivalry saw rebel leader Mat Salleh ally with the Tagahas against the Tuwawon. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Kadazan Dusun is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Tambunan Dusun

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Malaysia
People Cluster: Borneo-Kalimantan
Primary Language(s): Kadazan Dusun (dtp)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 24,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG019283
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Tambunan Dusun of Malaysia

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

40%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kadazan Dusun
Language Family: Austronesian

70%
%
Kadazan Dusun Speakers

Media Resources in Kadazan Dusun:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Kadazan Dusun:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Baibol Kadazan (Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu Version)✓✓✓
Today's Dusun Version Revised✓✓✓

2 entries

Or check out the Kadazan Dusun bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Tambunan Dusun 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 Tambunan Dusun:
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 Tambunan Dusun of Malaysia

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
readMatthew 5:44-45

Pray for those who don't know Jesus to encounter believers who are kind and compassionate and that their imitation of Christ will serve as a testimony that attracts lost people to Jesus.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
readJohn 14:6

Pray that those who are searching for a way to God and desiring truth will encounter the good news of eternal life and accept it.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
readRomans 6:4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, God will lead those who might hesitate in getting baptized to trust Him as they obey His command, even when obedience is hard.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
readPsalm 9:18

Pray that God will raise up believers who can help meet emotional and physical needs among this people group. Ask Him to open doors for them and give them the courage to walk into difficult situations and share the hope of the gospel boldly.

Dusun, Tambunan Across Countries (ROP3 - 102785) 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.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

Scroll to Top