Major Religion : Roman Catholic/Islam
Language : Murutic Language
Who are the Murut?
The Murut comprise several people groups that
are scattered in parts of Borneo Island including
Brunei, Kalimantan (Indonesia), and the East
Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Their largest
numbers are in Sabah but some also inhabit the rural
Temburong District in Brunei. They were among the
last tribal groups on Borneo to renounce headhunting.
The largest Murut people groups are Tagal, Tidung,
Timugon, Sembakung, Paluan, Bookan, Kalabakan,
and Serundung Murut. The Sabah Murut population
is around 135,000 while around 1,200 are found in
Brunei.
The literal meaning for Murut is ‘hill people’. The
Murut were formerly shifting cultivators moving
their settlements every few years. Each people group
has their own dialect, but most are also conversant in
Malay which is the national language in Brunei and
Malaysia.
What are their lives like?
The Murut used to live in communal longhouses,
usually near rivers. Today, they have abandoned
this style of living for individual family houses.
These modern-style Murut villages are still located
in the areas of their former longhouse communities.
They are a very hospitable people.
Traditionally, they used the rivers as their highways.
They planted hill rice and tapioca, and hunted and
fished for a living. The men were skilled hunters,
using blowpipes, spears and hunting dogs. Today,
cultivating hill rice is their main occupation. Saw
milling, timber processing and military careers are
other means of livelihood.
Generally speaking, the Murut in Brunei have
participated in the economic prosperity and
modernization of Brunei Darussalam over the past few
decades. The Murut in Sabah have also had increased
opportunities resulting from modernization, although
those who live in remote locations have not benefited
as much from these changes.
What do they believe?
Many of the Murut peoples in both Sabah
and Brunei characterize their entire people
group as being Christian. But, this is often
done to distinguish their culture from their earlier
culture and from the predominant Muslim culture
than to characterize individual beliefs.
Many of those that call themselves Christian are
nominal believers. Among church members there is
a mix of Roman Catholic and Protestant affiliations.
Brunei statistics reveal that the Murut community is
58% Muslim, 30% “tribal religionists” (animists) and
the rest Christian. Malaysian census data count the
Murut in Sabah as about 82% Christian, 13% Muslim,
and 5% other. These numbers can be misleading since
they count all those in a household as having the same
belief as the head of the household.
What are their needs?
Opportunities for better education and
economic improvement are limited in the
more remote areas. Those choosing to pursue
better opportunities are forced to move out of their
local culture. Pray that in the face of local restrictions
believers will persevere and will also share the good
news. His Word is available in some of the Murutic
languages. Pray that non-believers, as well as the
many nominal believers, would respond to His Truth
as they hear and read it.
Reference : Click me
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