The Jambi Malay of Indonesia People Profile

the fabric to tie their babies to them as they Who are the Jambi Malay? go about their daily tasks. Exceptionally beau- Most of the 800,000 Jambi Malay live in the tiful fabric is reserved for weddings. sparsely-inhabited Jambi Province of eastern Before a Jambi wedding, friends and neigh- Sumatra, Indonesia. Jambi Province is home bors gather together to help with prepara- to a diverse mixture of Malay, Minangkabau, tions. Helping each other is a daily facet of Sumatra Arab, Chinese, Banjar, Bugis and Javanese Jambi life. The wedding is an all-day affair Jambi Malay people. Many of these people have been with amazing sights, smells and sounds. As resettled in Sumatra the day begins, the groom parades to the as part of an Indo- bride’s house accompanied by a band play- nesian government ing kompangan, a traditional Jambi hand program to ease the drum. It ends with the playing of the gam- overpopulation of Java bus, an Arab instrument similar to a guitar, as Population: 800,000 Island and other areas. well as singing and dancing. Location: Eastern Sumatra, Several such “trans- Indonesia migration” areas have While the Jambi retain much of their Languages: Jambi, been located among traditional culture, they are open to outside Bahasa Indonesia Jambi villages. influences. Shopping malls, Pizza Hut and jeans are increasingly common, especially in cities. Jambi, the former city center of the Languages Jambi sultanate has been transformed into a Prayer Points Most Jambi Malay speak a dialect of Malay modern provincial capital. Telanaipura, a new known as Bahasa Jambi in their homes and administrative center, lies just to the west. Pray for God to send followers of Jesus villages. At other times, they use Bahasa Indo- to serve the Jambi people. nesia, the Indonesian national language. Beliefs Pray that followers of Jesus from other Livelihood The Jambi Indonesian ethnic groups would reach Malay are out to the Jambi Malay, despite the per- More than half of the Jambi are farmers, known for secution they may face in doing so. although only 30% of the province’s income their strong is provided by agriculture. The government commitment Pray that God’s love will penetrate the is working to develop the Jambi farming to Islam. Islam barriers that prevent the Jambi from con- industry and to increase foreign investment. was estab- sidering and accepting the Good News. Major agricultural products include timber, lished among the Jambi in the 16th century plywood, rubber, palm oil, coffee and tea. when Arab traders arrived in Sumatra. Today, Pray for the Jambi Malay who follow Many Jambi also support themselves by every Jambi village and nearly every Jambi Jesus, that they would boldly share fishing in the rivers near their villages, often neighborhood has a building for worship and the Good News with their own people using traditional equipment. a training place for the practice and teaching group. Pray that they would meet to- of Islam, complete with at least one Islamic gether, worshipping God in a way suited The Jambi are very poor, and many seem teacher. to their own unique culture. uninterested in pursuing the modernization and development needed to improve their The Jambi Malay are proud that their villages Pray that a movement to follow Jesus economic situation. Many Jambi seem satis- are 100% Muslim. Yet the Jambi retain many would begin among the Jambi Malay. fied with a simple lifestyle. Although some traditional spiritual practices. Just as each Jambi pursue higher education, the number village or neighborhood has an elected is minimal. Many Jambi have little formal ed- Islamic leader, there is usually also a dukun, ucation at all, preferring to stick to traditional a traditional healer. The dukun intercedes on ideas and methods rather than seek modern behalf of his patient with pleas to Allah or to knowledge and technical expertise. the spirits for healing. Religious leaders also provide mothers with amulets to protect Culture their young children from evil spirits. Very few Jambi Malay follow Jesus. The Jambi love batik. In Jambi villages, talented women use wax to create intricate designs on fabric, applying colorful dyes For more information about the Jambi Malay, made from plants and berries. Many women visit: www.apeopleloved.com/jambi-malay wear batik sarongs on a daily basis and use

Rev. 02/11