10 Facts About Melanau people

For most Melanau, the word ' dayak' is inappropriate for them as it was a word used by the westerners for the inhabitant of Borneo because Melanau people already have their own identity and culture as A-Llikou .

The Melanau people were regarded as a sub-group of the purported Klemantan people.

The name Melanau people was not used by the Melanau people to refer to themselves until recently.

Legend has it that the name Melanau people was given by the Malays of Brunei to the inhabitants of the coastal swamp flats and riverbanks of central Sarawak which might signify "coast-dweller".

Yet the Melanau people language has retained much of its authenticity making it separable from the Malay language despite heavy influence from the Malay language itself.

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Melanau people languages have been divided into the following five groups.

One of the reasons the Muslim Melanau people 'migrated' to become Malay is that during the registration of birth of the newborns, they are automatically being assumed as Malay if the parents don't inform the registration officer of their racial preference.

Melanau people were traditionally fishermen as well as padi and sago farmers.

Melanau people are one of the rare ethnic groups in Malaysia to have a population that remains more or less constant in numbers.

The Melanau people are slowly being absorbed into other cultural groups.