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People group profile · PG020232

The Eastern Kadazan of Malaysia

The Eastern Kadazan of Malaysia, numbering about 32,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Malaysia (Sabah).

They are an indigenous people in the Borneo-Kalimantan people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazan.

Pray for the Eastern KadazanPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Malaysia
Population
32,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Borneo-Kalimantan
Primary language
Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazan (dtb)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
15% or Greater but Less than 20%
GSEC
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Sabah: Beluran, Kinabatangan, and Sandakan districts

Where they live

Gospel status

The Eastern Kadazan 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 Eastern Kadazan

  • 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

Ethnoreligion

70% adherents

Primary language

Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazan · Austronesian family

65% speak Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazan

Gospel resources in Labuk-Kinabatangan Kadazan

  • Bible available, published 1996
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Bibles

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

Pray for the Eastern Kadazan

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

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