Peoples and Traditions/ Contents

Bajau society

Clifford Sather and Patricia Regis

The Bajau are the second largest indigenous group in Sabah after the Kadazandusun, numbering over 381,000 in 2004. They are Sama-Bajau speaking people who spread southward through the Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines, reaching the northern tip of Sabah by the 16th century. Here they split, some settling on the north and west coasts, others along the east coast.

  • Information in the full article includes
  • Traditional settlements and economy
  • Regional variation
  • Social organization and kinship
Bajau

Boat races in Semporna also serve to display and promote the culture of the Bajau Laut.