Other ethnic groups which have strong Islamic influence in their traditions are Melanau and Kedayan. Malay culture contributes significantly to Sarawakian Muslim tradition as a whole especially for weddings, circumcision (coming of age ritual), 'majlis doa selamat', etc. All Malays are designated Muslim by the Malaysian Constitution. Many Muslims in Sarawak are ethnic Malays. 23% of Sarawak population are Muslim by religion. Masjid KuchingIslam is the second largest religion in Sarawak. However, only Christmas and Good Friday are public holidays in Sarawak. Ĭhristians in Sarawak observe Christian festivals just like their counterparts in other part of the world, namely Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Ascension Day. The Malaysian government has allowed the schools to continue using religious symbols on school buildings and teaching Christian values to non-Muslim students. Participation of the church in these schools has been reduced. Due to federalisation of the education system, most of these missionary schools have been converted into government national schools. Christianity has gained popularity throughout Sarawak, transcending race and religion. There were a lot of missionary schools built during 1950s to early 1980s. Ĭhristianity has also contributed to the betterment of the education system in Sarawak. Christians among indigenous ethnics have also embraced many Christian values such as preserving modesty and dedication to God. Professing Christianity has led to abolishing of some previous rituals by indigenous ethnics such as headhunting, improper disposal of dead bodies.

Church plays an important part in shaping morality of the communities, while some Christians view the church as a religious place. For example, most Chinese Christians are Methodists, most Ibans and Bidayuhs are either Roman Catholics or Anglicans, whilst most Orang Ulu are S.I.B.s. Many Sarawakian Christians are non-Malay Bumiputera, ranging from Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Melanau.ĭenomination of Christians in Sarawak may vary according to their race, although this is not necessarily true. Major Christian denominations in Sarawak are the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Borneo Evangelical Church (or Sidang Injil Borneo, S.I.B.) and Baptists. According to 2010 census, Christian make up 42.6% of total population of Sarawak. Sarawak is the state with the highest percentage of Christians in Malaysia. Main article: Christianity in MalaysiaChristianity is the most popular religion in Sarawak.

Population of sarawak