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Melanau
Total population	35,000
Regions with significant populations	Mukah, Sarawak
Language	Melanau
Religion	Islam & Christianity

The Melanau are a people who live on the island of Borneo, primarily in Sarawak, Malaysia, but also in Kalimantan, Indonesia. They are among the earliest settlers of Sarawak, and speak a Northwest Malayo-Polynesian language.

Contents 1 Origins 2 Divisions 3 Culture & Economy 4 Religion 5 Notable Melanau people 6 References

The Melanaus believe that they are a descendant of a group of people from the Philippines. They migrated to Sarawak because of war in Mindanao in the 16th century. Their original settlements were on the Sarawak coast between Bintulu and Sarikei, in what is now Mukah Division.

The Melanaus can be divided into six different groups which are: Melanau Mukah, Melanau Dalat, Melanau Oya, Melanau Matu-Daro-Rejang, Melanau Ba'ie(Bintulu) and Melanau Miri. Each group has its own characteristic dilect but they share the same cultural and lingual background (except for Melanau Bintulu "dilect" which can hardly be understood by the rest.Many linguists feel that it hardly fit into the Melanau language grouping) . The Melanau languages have been divided in the following six: Daro-Matu, Kanowit, Melanau, Sibu, Seru and Tanjong. ^[1]

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 today (2007) they live in kampong (separated houses in a village community) style. 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.Some people even joke that save the few Christian Melanaus, in not too distant future, the Melanau will become extinct!

While originally animists, the majority of the Melanaus are now Muslim, although some of them, especially among the Melanau Mukah, are Christian. Nonetheless, many still celebrate traditional rites such as the annual Kaul Festival.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.During the May 13th 1969 Incidence-when the different dominant races in Peninsular Malaysia were at each other's throat,especially the Malays against the Chinese-East Malaysians were spared of the trauma and looking at the racial infighting across the South China Sea with wonder,disbelief and sadness ^[2]

1. Abdul Taib Mahmud (also known as Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud) — The fourth and current longest serving Chief Minister of Sarawak
2. Abdul Rahman Yaakub (aka Tun Abdul Rahman Yaakub) — The third Chief Minister of Sarawak, who preceded the current Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and the Fourth TYT (Governor) of Sarawak.
3. Salehuddin (aka Tun Salehuddin) — The fifth and current TYT of Sarawak
4. Mohd Effendi Norwawi (aka Datuk Sri Effendi Norwawi) — Minister in The Prime Minister Department (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration)
5. Dr Leo Michael Toyad (aka Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad) — Ex-Federal Minister
6. Wahab Dollah (aka Datuk Wahab Dollah) — Member of Parliament
7. Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib — the son of Abdul Taib Mahmud. Corporate figure
8. Dr Yusuf Hadi (aka Datu Dr Yusuf Hadi) — Academician
9. Len Salleh (aka Datu Len Salleh) — Forestry expert

1. ^ Melanau Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version
2. ^ Stephen, Edward Subeng (26 April 2003) "Ten of Thousands Expected for Kaul Celebration in Mukah" Bernama The Malaysian National News Agency;