The Tambunan Dusun of Malaysia

The Tambunan Dusun of Malaysia, numbering approximately 24,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are one of Sabah's largest Dusun subgroups, organized into seven sub-tribes including the Tuwawon and Tagahas, settled by explorers from Nunuk Ragang led by Gombunan, whose 1890s rivalry saw rebel leader Mat Salleh ally with the Tagahas against the Tuwawon. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Kadazan Dusun is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Tambunan Dusun

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Malay Peoples
Country: Malaysia
People Cluster: Borneo-Kalimantan
Primary Language(s): Kadazan Dusun (dtp)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 24,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 10% or Greater Evangelical
People Group ID: PG019283
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Pray for the Tambunan Dusun of Malaysia

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

40%
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Kadazan Dusun
Language Family: Austronesian

70%
%
Kadazan Dusun Speakers

Media Resources in Kadazan Dusun:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Kadazan Dusun:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Baibol Kadazan (Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu Version)✓✓✓
Today's Dusun Version Revised✓✓✓

2 entries

Or check out the Kadazan Dusun bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Tambunan Dusun are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Tambunan Dusun:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Tambunan Dusun of Malaysia

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
read1 Chronicles 16:26

Pray that those among them who are lost and seeking after worthless idols will have the opportunity to hear and respond to the good news, seeing that Jesus is better than any idol.

And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
readLuke 2:17

Pray that the lost will receive the good news of salvation in God's Son, have hearts eager to share it with others, and that all who hear will respond with wonder and faith!

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.
readActs 4:29

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and face rejection by unbelievers in their communities, God will give them discernment, boldness, and encouragement to speak His Word.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
readRevelation 7:9-10

Pray that the promise in Revelation 7:9-10 will encourage believers from among them or from nearby people groups to share the gospel with people who have never learned it.

Dusun, Tambunan Across Countries (ROP3 - 102785) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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