Rise of Christian political consciousness and mobilisation

Malaysia is a multiracial and multireligious country of twenty-nine million people. In terms of racial background, Malays and other bumiputera (literally, sons of the soil) ¹ make up the majority at 62 percent, followed by Chinese (22 percent) and Indians (7 percent). But this multiracial composition only tells a little about Malaysia’s ethnic diversity. In East Malaysia – Sabah and Sarawak ² – the racial composition is more complex. The Kadazandusun ³ and other indigenous people account for 37 percent of Sabah’s 3.2 million population, followed by the Bajau, at 14 percent. In Sarawak, Iban comprise 29 percent of the population, followed by the Chinese and Malays (around 23 percent each), and the Bidayuh (14 percent).