Sama-Bajau

in Inanam, Kota Kinabalu District of Sabah, Malaysia Sama-Bajau is a collective term, referring to several closely related indigenous people who consider themselves a single distinct bangsa ("ethnic group" or "nation"). Historically in the Philippines, the term Sama referred to the more land-oriented and settled Sama–Bajau groups, while Bajau referred only to more sea-oriented, boat-dwelling, nomadic groups. Even these distinctions are fading as the majority of Sama-Bajau have long since abandoned boat living, most for Sama-style piling houses in the coastal shallows. British administrators in Sabah classified the Sama-Bajau as "Bajau" and labelled them as such in their birth certificates. Thus, the Sama-Bajau in Malaysia may sometimes self-identify as "Bajau". The Malaysian government recognizes the Sama-Bajau as legally Bumiputera under the "Bajau" subgroup == History and origin ==

, British North Borneo, , Sabah, Malaysia For most of their history, the Sama-Bajau have been a nomadic, seafaring people, living off the sea by trading and subsistence fishing. The boat-dwelling Sama-Bajau see themselves as non-aggressive people. They kept close to the shore by erecting houses on stilts and travelled using lepa, handmade boats which many lived in. Oral traditions where two siblings named Haklum Nuzum and Salingayah Bungsu from Sulu compete in a boat race to marry a beautiful princess from Johor Sultanate. The boat race was held by Sultan Mahalikul Alam of Johor where the brothers need to sail all the way to Pulau Angsa which is located near the coast of Johor. During the race, the boat sailed by Salingayah Bungsu broke, which led to his defeat. He then promised to not return to Johor and continue his journey all the way to "Sambuanga" (Zamboanga) in southern Philippines where he married a woman and was blessed with a son and daughter later on. It was believed that his children committed the act of incest which led to him leaving them and sailing to "Omaral" (Omadal Island) out of shame. On the island, his descendants continue to spread and eventually moved to Bum-Bum Island which is located beside mainland Semporna and the place where they gather is named "Kubang" which means "assemble or gather". This migration from Omadal Island to Bum-Bum island caused them to lose their nomadic culture and identity which led to the creation of a new Sama-Bajau sub-ethnic group called Bajau Kubang, Bajau Darat (land Bajau) or Bajau Sampulna (Semporna). Among the Indonesian Sama-Bajau, on the other hand, their oral histories place more importance on the relationship of the Sama-Bajau with the Sultanate of Gowa rather than Johor. The various versions of their origin myth tell about a royal princess who was washed away by a flood. She was found and eventually married a king or a prince of Gowa. Their offspring then allegedly became the ancestors of the Indonesian Sama-Bajau. However, there are other versions that are more mythological and do not mention a princess. Among the Philippine Sama-Bajau, for example, there is a myth that claims that the Sama-Bajau were accidentally towed into what is now Zamboanga by a giant stingray. hunter-gatherers from the Riau Archipelago who intermarried with Austronesians. They retained their hunter-gatherer lifestyle, though they became more maritime-oriented as Southeast Asia became more populated by later Austronesian settlers. From Zamboanga, some members of these people adopted an exclusively seaborne culture and spread outwards in the 10th century towards Basilan, Sulu, Borneo, and Sulawesi. A 2021 genetic study discovered a unique genetic signal among the Sama-Bajau of the Philippines and Indonesia. This genetic signal (called the "Sama ancestry" by the authors) identifies them as descendants of an ancient migration of Austroasiatic-affiliated hunter-gatherer groups from mainland Southeast Asia via the now sunken land bridges of Sundaland around 15,000 to 12,000 years ago. These populations admixed with both the preexisting Negrito populations, and later on, the incoming migrations of the Austronesian peoples (also adopting an Austronesian language in the process). They are genetically clustered with the Lua and Mlabri peoples of mainland Southeast Asia, as well as the Manobo people of mainland Mindanao. The study also identifies minimal South Asian gene flow among Sama populations starting at around 1000 years ago. Sama ancestry was highest among the Sama Dilaut, followed by more land-based Sama. But it was also detected among other ethnic groups that do not self-identify as Sama in Palawan, Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. in Afdeeling Ternate, Groote Oost, Dutch East Indies (present-day North Maluku, Indonesia) Sama-Bajau were first recorded by European explorers in 1521 by Antonio Pigafetta of the Magellan-Elcano expedition in what is now the Zamboanga Peninsula. Pigafetta writes that the "people of that island make their dwellings in boats and do not live otherwise". They have also been present in the written records of other Europeans henceforth; including in Sulawesi by the Dutch colonies in 1675, in Sulawesi and eastern Borneo by Thomas Forrest in the 1770s, During the British colonial rule of Sabah, the Sama-Bajau were involved in two uprisings against the North Borneo Chartered Company: the Mat Salleh rebellion from 1894 to 1905, and the Pandasan Affair of 1915. ==Modern Sama-Bajau==

Modern Sama-Bajau are generally regarded as peaceful, hospitable, and cheerful people, despite their humble circumstances. However, a significant number are also illiterate, uneducated, and impoverished, due to their nomadic lifestyle. Moreover, some controversial government programs in Indonesia and Malaysia have also resettled the Sama-Bajau to the mainland. However, the Malaysian programmes in particular tried to encourage them to pursue agriculture activities with some incentive. They were also marginalised by other Moro peoples because they still practised animist folk religions either exclusively or alongside Islam, and thus were viewed as "uncivilised pagans". This survived into the modern Philippines where the Sama-Bajau are still subjected to strong cultural prejudice from the Tausūg. The Sama-Bajau have also been frequent victims of theft, extortion, kidnapping, and violence from the predominantly Tausūg Abu Sayyaf insurgents as well as pirates. , Sabah, Malaysia , Indonesia This discrimination and the continuing violence in Muslim Mindanao have driven many Sama-Bajau to emigrate. They usually resettle in Malaysia and Indonesia, where they have more employment opportunities. Others migrate to the northern islands of the Philippines, particularly to the Visayas, Palawan, the northern coast of Mindanao, and even as far as southern Luzon. The ancestral roaming and fishing grounds of the Sama-Bajau straddled the borders of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. And they have sometimes voyaged as far as the Timor and Arafura Seas. In modern times, they have lost access to most of these sites. There have been efforts to grant Sama-Bajau some measures of rights to fish in traditional areas, but most Sama-Bajau still suffer from legal persecution. For example, under a 1974 Memorandum of Understanding, "Indonesian traditional fishermen" are allowed to fish within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Australia, which includes traditional fishing grounds of Sama-Bajau fishermen. However, illegal fishing encroachment of Corporate Sea Trawlers in these areas has led to concern about overfishing, and the destruction of Sama-Bajau vessels. Sama-Bajau fishermen are often associated with illegal and destructive practices, like blast fishing, cyanide fishing, coral mining, and cutting down mangrove trees. It is believed that the Sama-Bajau resort to these activities mainly due to sedentarisation brought about by the restrictions imposed on their nomadic culture by modern nation-states. With their now limited territories, they have little alternative means of competing with better-equipped land-based and commercial fishermen and earn enough to feed their families. With the loss of their traditional fishing grounds, some refugee groups of Sama-Bajau in the Philippines are forced to resort to begging (agpangamu in Sinama), particularly diving for coins thrown by inter-island ferry passengers (angedjo). Other traditional sources of income include selling grated cassava (magliis), mat-weaving (ag-tepoh), and jewellery-making (especially from pearls). Recently, there have been more efforts by local governments in the Philippines to rehabilitate Sama-Bajau refugees and teach them livelihood skills. In 2016, the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources started a project for distributing fishing boats, gear, and other livelihood materials among Sama-Bajau communities in Luzon. This was largely the result of raised awareness and an outpouring of support after a photo of a Sama-Bajau beggar, Rita Gaviola (dubbed the "Badjao Girl"), went viral in the Philippines. One Tausug Muslim who was interviewed insulted the Bajau people, who are also Muslim but he declared the Bajau as non-Muslim and compared killing a Bajau to killing a monkey, saying it was not worth the effort for a juramentado to attack Bajau. There are Tausug in Sulu who takfir the Bajau and declared them as non-Muslims despite them following Islam and discriminate against them due to their lifestyle. In Indonesia many discriminate against them with false stereotypes, accusing them of using love potions on women and were untrustworthy. == Subgroups ==

The Sama-Bajau are fragmented into highly diverse subgroups. They have never been politically united and are usually subject to the land-based political groups of the areas they settle, such as the Sultanate of Brunei, the former Sultanate of Sulu and Sultanate of Bone. They are the Sama-Bajau subgroup most commonly called "Bajau" or "Badjao", though Filipino Sama Dilaut considers it offensive. A recent study shows that the Sama-Dilaut people of the Philippines have Indian or South Asian ancestry. People of multiple ethnic parentage may further identify with a three-part self-description, such as "Bajau Suluk Dusun". The following are the major subgroups usually recognised as distinct: • Bajo (Indonesia) – Also known as "Same'" (or simply "Sama") by the Bugis; and "Turijene" or "Taurije'n" (literally "people of the water"), "Bayo", or "Bayao" by the Makassar. They are Sama-Bajau groups who settled in Sulawesi and Kalimantan, Indonesia through the Makassar Strait from as early as the 16th century. They have spread further into nearby islands, including the Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku Islands, and Raja Ampat Islands. '' warship of the Banguingui pirates • Banguingui or Balangingi (Philippines, Malaysia) – Also known as "Sama Balangingi", "Sama Balanguingui", or "Sama Bangingi". Native to the Philippines. Some have recently migrated to Sabah. They are sometimes considered distinct from other Sama-Bajau. They have a more martial-oriented society and were once part of regular sea raids and piracy against coastal communities and passing ships. , Sabah, Malaysia. Lepa refers to the houseboat in the dialect of East Coast Bajau. In this festival, Bajau people decorate their boats with colourful flags. • East Coast Bajau (Philippines, Malaysia) – Term used to classify various Sama-Bajau group that live in north and east coast of Sabah. Many from this subgroup are considered native of Sabah but unlike the West Coast Bajau, the East Coast Bajau have a closer cultural and historical ties with the Sama-Bajau in the Philippines (with their descendants making up a good number of population of this subgroup in the form of Moro refugee, legal migrants, illegal immigrants and naturalized citizens especially after 1972). This subgroup can be split into two group, the fully sedentary "Bajau Daratan Pinggir Pantai" or "Bajau Darat" (seashore Bajau or land Bajau) and the semi-nomadic "Bajau Laut" (sea Bajau). The first group tend to differentiate themselves from the second group which is the Bajau Laut (who are called with the pejorative term, "Pala'u") and they are made up of different Bajau sub-ethnic like Bajau Kubang, Bajau Ubian, Bajau Simunul, Bajau Sengkuang, etc. • Samal (Philippines, Malaysia) – "Samal" (also spelled "Siamal" or "Siyamal") is a Tausūg and Cebuano term and is sometimes considered offensive. Their preferred endonym is simply "Sama", and they are more accurately a general subgroup of Sama Dea ("land Sama") native to the Philippines. They are the largest single group of Sama-Bajau. In Davao del Norte, the Island Garden City of Samal was possibly named after them. • Ubian or Obian (Philippines, Malaysia) – Originated from the island of South Ubian in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. They reside in sizeable minorities living around the towns of Kudat (being the majority in Banggi Island), Semporna, Kota Kinabalu (in Gaya Island) and Kota Belud (in area like Kampung Baru-Baru and Kuala Abai) in Sabah, Malaysia. In Sabah, they are part of the East Coast Bajau subgroup and can be further divided into two group based on their migration wave. The first group is the Ubian who arrived at Sabah prior to World War II (with one of the earliest documented account being in 1888) and their descendants has since acculturated with local culture of Sabah (including the culture of West Coast Bajau). Based on the constitution, they are recognised as native of Sabah due to them being born in Sabah during the colonial era. The second group is the Ubian that arrive from Southern Philippines as asylum seekers starting from 1972 due to the Moro Conflict and this group are considered as illegal immigrants and foreigners to the citizen of Sabah. However, many of them have since obtain Malaysian Identification Card (IC) which possibly link to the Project IC controversy in Sabah. Despite this, the descendants of the second group that had obtained IC has start to acculturate with local Malaysian and Sabahan lifestyle and consider themselves as citizen of the country. , Sabah, Malaysia • West Coast Bajau (Malaysia) – Also known as "Sama Kota Belud". Native to the western coast of Sabah, particularly around Kota Belud District. They prefer to call themselves by the general ethnonym "Sama", not "Bajau"; and their neighbours, the Dusuns also call them "Sama". British administrators originally defined them as "Bajau". They are referred to as West Coast Bajau in Malaysia to distinguish them from the Sama Dilaut of eastern Sabah and the Sulu Archipelago. They are known for having a traditional horse culture. • Jama Mapun (Philippines, Malaysia) – sometimes known by the exonyms "Sama Mapun", "Sama Kagayan", "Bajau Kagayan", or just "Kagayan". They are from the island of Mapun, Tawi-Tawi (formerly known as Cagayan de Sulu) and some of them have settled in Sabah (in area like Banggi Island and Sandakan). Their culture is heavily influenced by the Sulu Sultanate. They are relatively isolated and do not usually consider themselves as Sama. Yakan are also a horse-riding culture, similar to the West Coast Bajau. They are renowned for their weaving traditions. They resisted Tausug rule during the early formation of the Sulu Sultanate, eventually gaining recognition as a separate political entity. They are only partially Islamized, with a significant minority retaining indigenous anito beliefs or practising Folk Islam. ==Languages==

, one of the major Bajau settlements off the coast of Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia The Sama–Bajau peoples speak some ten languages of the Sama–Bajau subgroup of the Western Malayo-Polynesian language family. Sinama is the most common name for these languages, but they are also called Bajau, especially in Malaysia. Most Sama-Bajau can speak multiple languages. For example, Sinama pronunciation is quite distinct from other nearby Central Philippine languages like Tausūg and Tagalog. Instead of the primary stress being usually on the final syllable; the primary stress occurs on the second-to-the-last syllable of the word in Sinama. This placement of the primary stress is similar to Manobo and other languages of the predominantly animistic ethnic groups of Mindanao, the Lumad peoples. In 2006, the linguist Robert Blust proposed that the Sama-Bajaw languages derived from the Barito lexical region, though not from any established group. It is thus a sister group to other Barito languages like Dayak and Malagasy. It is classified under the Bornean geographic group. Sama-Bajau languages are usually written in the Jawi alphabet. == Culture ==

Religion Religion can vary among the Sama-Bajau subgroups; from strict adherence to Sunni Islam, forms of folk Islam (itself influenced by Sufi traditions of early Muslim missionaries), to animistic beliefs in spirits and ancestor worship. There is a small minority of Catholics and Protestants in the Bajau diaspora, particularly from Davao del Sur in the Philippines. The ancient Sama-Bajau were animistic, and this is retained wholly or partially in some Sama-Bajau groups. The supreme deities in Sama-Bajau mythology are Umboh Tuhan (also known as Umboh Dilaut, the "Lord of the Sea") and his consort, Dayang Dayang Mangilai ("Lady of the Forest"). In modern Muslim Sama-Bajau, Umboh Tuhan (or simply Tuhan or Tuan) is usually equated with Allah. grave markers showing the Sama okil carving traditions. These originated from the pre-Islamic ancestor worship of the Sama-Bajau and originally included human and animal figures, which are largely missing in modern sunduk, due to Islamic influence. These include Umboh Baliyu (the spirits of wind and storms), and Umboh Payi or Umboh Gandum (the spirits of the first rice harvest). They include totemic spirits of animals and plants, including Umboh Summut (totem of ants) and Umboh Kamun (totem of mantis shrimp). The kalamat and the igal jinn are said to be "spirit-bearers" and are believed to be hosts of familiar spirits. It is not, however, regarded as a spirit possession, since the igal jinn never lose control of their bodies. Instead, the igal jinn are believed to have acquired their familiar spirit (jinn) after surviving a serious or near-fatal illness. For the rest of their lives, the igal jinn is believed to share their bodies with the particular jinn'' who saved them. The trance dancing is called mag-igal and involves female and male and igal jinn, called the jinn denda and jinn lella respectively. The jinn denda perform the first dance known as igal limbayan under the dangkan tree, with the eldest leading. They are performed with intricate movements of the hands, usually with metal fingernail extensions called sulingkengkeng. If the dance and music are pleasing, the bansa are believed to take possession of the dancers, whereupon the wali jinn will assist in releasing them at the end of the dance. The bansa are not feared as they are regarded as spirits of ancestors. Temporarily serving as hosts for the bansa while dancing to music is regarded as a "gift" by the living Sama Dilaut to their ancestors. After the igal limbayan, the wali jinn will invite the audience to participate, to celebrate, and to give their thanks. The last dance is the igal lellang, with four jinn lella performing a warrior dance, whereupon the participants will proceed to the ''kama'toolang grove. There they will perform rituals and dance (this time with male and female dancers together), symbolically "inviting" Dayang Dayang Mangilai to come with them back to the dangkan tree. Further games and celebrations are held under the original dangkan tree before the celebrants say their farewells to the spirits. Unlike pag-umboh, pagkanduli'' is a joyous celebration, involving singing, dancing, and joking among all participants. It is the largest festive event among the Sama Dilaut communities. These mooring points are usually presided over by an elder or headsman. The mooring points are close to sources of water or culturally significant locations like island cemeteries. There are periodic gatherings of Sama-Bajau clans usually for various ceremonies like weddings or festivals. They generally do not sail more than from their "home" moorage. Sama-Bajau women also use a traditional sun-protecting powder called burak or borak, made from water weeds, rice, and spices. Music, dance, and arts of the West Coast Bajau of Sabah carvings on the stern of a vinta'' from Tawi-Tawi, c. 1920 Sama-Bajau traditional songs are handed down orally through generations. The songs are usually sung during marriage celebrations (kanduli pagkawin), accompanied by dance (pang-igal) and musical instruments like pulau (flute), gabbang (xylophone), ''tagunggo' (kulintang gongs), biula'' (violin), and in modern times, electronic keyboards. Among the more specific examples of Sama-Bajau songs are three love songs collectively referred to as Sangbayan. These are Dalling Dalling, Duldang Duldang, and Pakiring Pakiring. Horse culture in their hometown of Kota Belud, with a background of Mount Kinabalu The more settled land-based West Coast Bajau are expert equestrians – which makes them remarkable in Malaysia, where horse riding has never been widespread anywhere else. The traditional costume of Sama-Bajau horsemen consists of a black or white long-sleeved shirt (badu sampit) with gold buttons (betawi) on the front and decorated with silver floral designs (intiras), black or white trousers (seluar sampit) with gold lace trimmings, and a headpiece (podong). They carry a spear (bujak), a riding crop (pasut), and a silver-hilted keris dagger. The horse is also caparisoned with a colourful outfit called kain kuda that also have brass bells (seriau) attached. The saddle (sila sila) is made from water buffalo hide and padded with cloth (lapik) underneath. Society , Sabah, Malaysia Though some Sama-Bajau headsmen have been given honorific titles like "Datu", "Maharaja" or "Panglima" by governments (like under the Sultanate of Brunei), they usually only had little authority over the Sama-Bajau community. Sama-Bajau society is traditionally highly individualistic, ==Biological characteristics==

Free-diving adaptations , Bohol, Philippines, diving for coins thrown by tourists into the water Sama-Bajau are noted for their exceptional abilities in free-diving. Divers work long days with the "greatest daily apnea diving time reported in humans" of greater than 5 hours per day submerged. Some Bajau intentionally rupture their eardrums at an early age to facilitate diving and hunting at sea. Many older Sama-Bajau are therefore hard of hearing. This difference is apparently related to a variant of the PDE10A gene. FAM178B, a regulator of carbonic anhydrase, which is related to maintaining blood pH when carbon dioxide accumulates; and another one involved in the response to hypoxia. ==Depictions in popular culture==

depicts a kingfisher, adopted primarily to symbolise the large Sama-Bajau population in Sabah It has been suggested by some researchers that the Sama-Bajau people's visits to Arnhem Land gave rise to the accounts of the mysterious Baijini people in the myths of Australia's Yolngu people. In 2010, the newly discovered squidworm, Teuthidodrilus samae, was named after the Sama-Bajau people of Tawi-Tawi. James Cameron cited the Sama-Bajau as one of the seafaring peoples that inspired the Metkayina, an oceanic Na'vi clan, in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). The Sama-Bajau have also been the subject of several films. They include: • Badjao (1957) – A Filipino film directed by Lamberto V. Avellana • Bajau Laut: Nomads of the Sea (2008) – A Singaporean TV documentary produced by Matthew Malpelli. • The Mirror Never Lies (2011) Indonesian film directed by Kamila Andini • Thy Womb (2012) – A Filipino drama film directed by Brillante Mendoza • ''Bohe': Sons of the Waves'' (2013) – A Filipino short film produced by Nadjoua and Linda Bansil • Anak ng Badjao (1987) – A Filipino Film directed by Jose Antonio Alonzo and Jerry O. Tironazona • Sahaya (2019) – A Filipino TV series directed by Zig Dulay == Notable Sama-Bajau ==

Politics • Mat Salleh (Datu Muhammad Salleh) – Sabah warrior from Inanam, Kota Kinabalu, during the British administration of North Borneo. • Tun Datu Mustapha (Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun) – The first Yang di-Pertua Negeri (governor) of Sabah and the third Chief Minister of Sabah from Kudat. • Tun Said Keruak – The seventh Governor of Sabah and the fourth Chief Minister of Sabah from Kota Belud. • Tun Sakaran Dandai – The eighth Governor of Sabah and also the eighth Chief Minister of Sabah from Semporna. • Ahmadshah Abdullah – The ninth Governor of Sabah from Inanam, Kota Kinabalu. • Salleh Said Keruak (Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Salleh bin Tun Mohd Said Keruak) – The ninth Chief Minister of Sabah from Kota Belud and a former federal minister with the rank of Senator in the Dewan Negara. • Osu Sukam (Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Osu bin Sukam) – The twelfth Chief Minister of Sabah from Papar. • Mohd Nasir Tun Sakaran (Dato' Mohd Nasir bin Tun Sakaran Dandai) – Sabah politician from Semporna. • Shafie Apdal (Dato' Seri Hj Mohd Shafie Bin Apdal) – The fifteenth Chief Minister of Sabah from Semporna. • Pandikar Amin Mulia – Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, former Member of Parliament of Malaysia from Kota Belud. • Askalani Abdul Rahim (Datuk Askalani Bin Abdul Rahim) – Former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports from Semporna. • Abdul Rahman Dahlan – Former Cabinet Minister from Tuaran as well the former Member of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat for the constituency of Kota Belud from 2008 to 2018. • Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis – Member of Parliament of Kota Belud in the Dewan Rakyat (also half Kadazan-Dusun ancestry on paternal side). • Manis Muka Mohd Darah – Former Member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly for Bugaya. • Sultan Ombra Amilbangsa - From Simunul, in what is now the province of Tawi-Tawi. He was a member of the National Assembly of the Philippines from 1935 to 1938, and from 1943 to 1944, and the Philippines House of Representatives from 1945 to 1949, and from 1951 to 1961. In 1961, he filed House Bill No. 5682, for the granting of independence to the Province of Sulu as a sovereign nation due to what he felt was the negligence of the central government over the concerns of his province. He married Dayang-Dayang Hadji Piandao Kiram, niece and adopted daughter of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II. He succeeded as Sulu Sultan from 1936 to 1964. Arts and entertainment • Haja Amina Appi — Filipino master mat weaver and teacher from Ungos Matata, Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi; recipient of the Philippine National Living Treasures Award. • AF2 (Aizam Mat Saman) – Malaysian singer and actor, great-nephew of Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah (his grandmother is the elder sister of the latter) from Inanam, Kota Kinabalu. • Sitti – Filipino bossa nova singer. • Zizi Kirana – Malaysian rapper from Semporna. • (the late Siti Surianie Julkarim) – Malaysian singer who gained fame through the reality show known as Mentor on TV3 from Likas, Kota Kinabalu. • Atu Zero – Malaysian comedian and actor from Kudat. • Wawa Zainal – Malaysian actress from Lahad Datu. • – Malaysian actor from Kota Belud. • Rita Gaviola – Filipino actress in the Pinoy Big Brother Season 7. Sports • Bana Sailani – A Filipino Olympic swimmer who represented the Philippines in the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 1958 Asian Games (where he won 5 bronze medals, and 1 silver), and the 1960 Summer Olympics. He was more popularly known as Bapa' Banana. • Estino Taniyu – A Malaysian swimmer from the Royal Malaysian Navy who swam across the English Channel in 13 hours, 45 minutes, and 45 seconds on 21 September 2012. • Matlan Marjan – Former Malaysian football player and the former Sabah FA captain from Kota Belud. • Eldio "Imam" Gulisan – A Filipino freediver who set the Philippines national record at the Japanese Cup 2019 on 7 September 2019. Featured in Episode 3 of the Netflix series Home Game. • Zainizam Marjan – Former Malaysian football player, younger brother of Matlan from Kota Belud. == See also ==

Short BBC documentary on the Bajau