How Many Tribes Are There In Borneo’s Sabah?

I’m from the Kimaragang indigenous community in Sabah, a small tribe of not more than 10,000 of Sabah’s 2.5 million population.

Found mostly in areas around Tandek, we are now losing one of our greatest assets which make us Kimaragang, Kimaragang — our language.

I guess by now half of the little population have already embraced the Kimaragangised Malay as their official language.

Sabah is one place in the world — perhaps the only place in the world, come to think of it — where one can find a huge number of ethnic groups in one state. Some say it’s 32, but the number could reach up to 40 ethnic groups.

The state government now wants to undertake a study to find out the exact number.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjum said the number of ethnic communities had been put at 28, 32 and 33 in the past, reports The Star newspaper today.