Total population | |
---|---|
Est. 240,000 in Borneo | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Borneo: Brunei Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak & Federal Territory of Labuan) | |
Languages | |
Kedayan and Sabah Malay, Sarawak Malay, Standard Malay and English | |
Religion | |
Sunni Islam (majority) | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Bruneian Malay, Dusun (Brunei), Banjarese, Javanese, Lun Bawang/Lundayeh |
The Kedayan (also known as Kadayan, Kadaian or Kadyan) are an ethnic group residing in Brunei, Federal Territory of Labuan, southwest of Sabah, and north of Sarawak on the island of Borneo.[1][2] According to the Language and Literature Bureau of Brunei, the Kedayan language (ISO 639-3: kxd) is spoken by about 30,000 people in Brunei,[3] and it has been claimed that there are a further 46,500 speakers in Sabah and 37,000 in Sarawak.[4][5][6] In Sabah, the Kedayan mainly live in the southern districts of Sipitang and Beaufort, where they are counted as a part of the local Malay populace (and they are often considered as Bruneians owing to assimilation as well as mixed marriage factors).[4][7] Whilst in Sarawak, the Kedayans mostly reside in the towns of Lawas, Limbang and Miri (especially the Subis area).[4]