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People group profile · PG009476

The Malays of Myanmar

The Malays of Myanmar, numbering about 27,000 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a Malay community descended primarily from settlers from the northern Malay Peninsula that preserves its Malay heritage and maintains cultural ties to the wider Malay world along Myanmar's southern coast.

They are a diaspora people in the Malay people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Malay (individual language).

Pray for the MalaysPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Myanmar
Population
27,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Malay
Primary language
Malay (individual language) (zlm)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Malays are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

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

Next steps for the Malays

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

99% adherents

Primary language

Malay (individual language) · Austronesian family

100% speak Malay (individual language)

Gospel resources in Malay (individual language)

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

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Malays

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

Download a prayer guide

Malay in other countries

The same people (ROP3 106144) is reported in 9 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
MalaysMalaysia13,670,000Engaged yet Unreached
MalaysSingapore745,000Engaged yet Unreached
MalaysSri Lanka73,500Unengaged and Unreached
MalaysUnited Kingdom56,000Engaged yet Unreached
MalaysAustralia21,500Engaged yet Unreached
MalaysCanada11,500Unengaged and Unreached
MalaysUnited States10,500Unengaged and Unreached
MalaysComoros1,100Engaged yet Unreached
MalaysMayotte325Engaged yet Unreached

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