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People group profile · PG009258

The Kalabakan Murut of Malaysia

The Kalabakan Murut of Malaysia, numbering about 3,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Malaysia.

They are an indigenous people in the Borneo-Kalimantan people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Kalabakan.

Pray for the Kalabakan MurutPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Kalabakan Murut people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Kalabakan Murut

Fast facts

Country
Malaysia
Population
3,500
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Borneo-Kalimantan
Primary language
Kalabakan (kve)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
5% or Greater but Less than 10%
GSEC ?
5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Sabah: Tawau district, along Kalabakan river

Where they live

Gospel status

The Kalabakan Murut are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Kalabakan Murut

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

Primary language

Kalabakan · Austronesian family

70% speak Kalabakan

Gospel resources in Kalabakan

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Kalabakan Murut

  1. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  2. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  3. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  4. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.

Download a prayer guide

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