People group profile · PG018232
The Peranakan of Malaysia
The Peranakan of Malaysia, numbering about 5,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Straits-born Chinese people, called Baba and Nyonya, whose roughly 600-year lineage began in the 15th-century Melaka Sultanate when Chinese traders married local Malay and Javanese women, developing a hybrid Peranakan language and blended customs.
They are an indigenous people in the Chinese people cluster of the East Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Chinese Folk Religion, and they primarily speak Malay (individual language).
Fast facts
- Country
- Malaysia
- Population
- 5,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Chinese
- Primary language
- Malay (individual language) (zlm)
- Primary religion
- Chinese Folk Religion
- Strategic Progress Index
- No Longer Unreached
- Evangelical
- 10% or Greater but Less than 15%
- GSEC
- 10% or Greater Evangelical
- Lostness priority
- Moderately Reached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Peranakan are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Peranakan
- 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
Chinese Folk Religion · Ethnoreligion
70% adherents
Primary language
Malay (individual language) · Austronesian family
100% speak Malay (individual language)
Gospel resources in Malay (individual language)
- Bible available, published 2015
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Malay)
- The Savior (Malay)
Bibles
- 2001 Today's Malay Version · audio, text
- Alkitab Versi Borneo · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Peranakan
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
Chinese, Peranakan in other countries
The same people (ROP3 114956) is reported in 1 other country.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Indonesians | Indonesia | 3,440,000 | No Longer Unreached |
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