Southeast Asia
Asahan
Population: 541,000
Language: Malay
Religious Identity: Muslim
The Asahan live on the eastern coast of the province of North Sumatra. Asahan villages tend to be located along rivers or the coast, and each village has worship buildings such as mosques or prayer houses. The Asahan are Muslims and base much of their life pattern on religious teachings; however, like many other Indonesian people groups, there continues to be an influence from their traditional animistic beliefs.
Bangka
Population: 217,000
Language: Malay
Religious Identity: Muslim
The Bangka people live on Bangka Island in the South China Sea to the east of Sumatra. This island is famous for its tin mines and pepper plantations. However, in the 1990s the price of pepper declined drastically and was followed by a drop in the price of tin, which adversly impacted the Bangka.
Belitung
Population: 162,000
Language: Malay
Religious Identity: Muslim
The Belitung live on the island of Belitung in the province of Bangka-Belitung. This island is located in the South China Sea to the east of Sumatra. The Belitung adhere to Islam, which came to the area around the 17th century; however, in spite of their dedication to Islam, many Belitung people are still influenced by animistic beliefs in spirits and various superstitions. They seek protection through magic by either appeasing or controlling both good and bad spirits. They still believe in magical forces that inhabit sacred objects and many things are forbidden by taboos.
Gayo
Population: 217,000
Language: Gayo
Religious Identity: Sunni Muslim
The Gayo of Indonesia live in the remote central highlands of Aceh Province on the island of Sumatra. The Gayo do not have a written language so folk tales and oral stories are passed down in the form of poetry. The Gayo people are mostly Muslim, but their understanding and conviction are lacking. Most Gayo still believe in good and bad spirits and holy men, both dead and alive. They also continue to worship and make offerings to spirits, saints and ancestors.
Kangean
Population: 108,000
Language: Madura
Religious Identity: Sunni Muslim
The Kangean people live on the island of Kangean, an Indonesian island near Bali. Very little is known about the Kangean people.
Kerinci
Population: 368,000
Language: Kerinci
Religious Identity: 100% Shafiite Muslim
Originally from the eastern coast of Sumatra, the Kerinci fled from local Muslim Sultanates in an ancient war and moved into their existing homeland high in the Bukit Barisan Mountains in West Sumatra. The Kerinci have been able to resist assimilation with the stronger lowland peoples, but today their isolation is being broken by government-sponsored mass relocations of Jawa, Sunda, and Bali people for plantation projects on their rich soil.
Lembak
Population: 172,000
Language: Lembak
Religious Identity: 100% Shafiite Muslim
The Lembak people’s main livelihood is rice, though quite a few men work on the many rubber plantations in the area and others run small-scale brick factories in rural areas. The women help in the fields and manage the households. Most Lembak people today embrace Islam, although a large part of the community still adheres to animistic beliefs. Most believe in the power of unseen spirits inhabiting sacred places, and the services of a dukun (shaman/healer/occultist) are often sought for many purposes, including healing the sick and exorcising evil spirits.
Musi Sekayu
Population: 482,000
Language: Sekayu
Religious Identity: Muslim
The Sekayu are scattered throughout the South Sumatra. The world’s fifth largest island, Sumatra is endowed with abundant natural resources and possesses vast economic potential. Due to frequent flooding from the Musi River, the Sekayu are relatively isolated from the provincial capital, Palembang, and this isolation has contributed to the development of local dialect accents, pronunciations, and a unique vocabulary. The Sekayu are nearly 100% Muslim and practice Islam with intense dedication. However, they also maintain a number of animistic beliefs and occult practices common to many Malay people groups in Indonesia.
Rawas
Population: 173,000
Language: Rawas
Religious Identity: Muslim
The Rawas' villages are spread along the Rawas and Rupit Rivers in South Sumatra. Their houses are built close together, which shows unity and the close relationships among them. The Rawas people embrace Sunni Islam and they obediently perform the Ramadan fast and implement merry celebrations on Muslim holidays.
Brunei Malay
Population: 249,000
Language: Brunei
Religious Identity: 99.99% Sunni Muslim
Brunei Malay is the name used to refer to several very closely related and assimilated groups of indigenous people in Brunei. As the indigenous people of the land, the Brunei Malay generally enjoy special privileges related to the prosperity of the country. All Brunei Malay are classified as Muslims at birth, and they are 100% Shafi Sunni Muslims. The Brunei Malay people adhere to traditional Islamic practices and beliefs, and it is estimated that Brunei has more mosques per square kilometer than any other country in the world.