Rungus people

Momogun Rungus[1]
Rungus people in theirtraditional costumes
Total population
≈74,000 (2024)[2]
Regions with significant populations
Malaysia (Sabah,Labuan)[3][4]
Languages
Rungus,Malaysian (Sabah Malay dialect) andSabahan English
Religion
Christianity (majorityProtestantism, someCatholic) (70%), Islam (Sunni) andAnimism (Traditional religion) (30%)
Related ethnic groups
Kadazan-Dusun,Murut

TheRungus people, also known as theMomogun Rungus,^[1] are anAustronesianethnic group indigenous toSabah, Malaysia. They primarily live in the northernKudat Division, especially in the districts ofKudat,Kota Marudu andPitas, with small minorities also existing in theBeluran andTelupid districts on the east coast of theSandakan Division and within theKota Kinabalu District (such as onGaya Island) of the western coast of theWest Coast Division as well as in theFederal Territory ofLabuan. They have a distinct language,dress, architecture, customs andoral literature from otherDusunic sub-groups, with an estimate of around 74,000 Rungus people spread across the state aside from their native ranges.^[2][5]

The Rungus are considered among Sabah's most traditional ethnic groups, and they are renowned for their rich cultural heritage. Originallypagan-animist, a majority of them have converted toProtestantism, while the remainder either adhere to other branches ofChristianity or toIslam, or else remain with theirtraditional religion. Their traditional dress is black in colour, and they are known for the uniquepinakol beadwork, which distinguishes them from the other indigenous ethnic groups of Sabah.

The Rungus ethnic group is one of Sabah'sindigenous ethnic groups that are grouped into the largerKadazan-Dusun indigenous group with unique native status, which is generally known as the "Momogun".^[6] Rungus ethnic scholars asserted that the word "Rungus" originated from the word "Rungsud", a Rungus ethnic forefather who migrated from theNunuk Ragang area to the coast of theKudat Peninsula,Marudu Bay, Pitas, Beluran, and as far as Telupid.^[7][8] These ethnic scholars also believe that "Rungsud" was a "Sea Momogun" figure who began to explore and subsequently inhabit the Kudat-Bandau area in ancient times, which partly became the origin for the Rungus to identify themselves as Momogun or Momogun Rungus, since the concept of Momogun itself refers to the name of the Rungus ethnic group.^[9]Oral sources also mention that the term "Rungus" for the ethnic group in Kudat comes from both theBajau andSuluk languages, namely from the word"Ungus", which can be interpreted in theMalay language as "pasir" (sand).^[10]

The Rungus areBornean indigenous people who lived around thehills ofKudat Division at the tip of Sabah, which is a sub-group of the largest indigenous of Kadazan-Dusun.^[1][11] Based on the research by Rungus ethnic scholar, the Rungus legend states thatRungsud or more well known asAki Rungsud was the main figure who opened the Bandau-Kudat area as the largestbarter trading area in the Berungus Cape and Bandau Bay region of Borneo in ancient times.^[12] Bandau Bay is known as the site of the ancient Rungus trading centre, where the usualgoods traded in the bay arecassava,bananas,corn,pumpkins,forest products, Rungus woven cloth, and various other trade items.^[13] The ethnic are among the most traditional ethnic groupin Sabah,^[11] with their culture revolves aroundrice;^[14] however,coconut and banana groves provide cash income.^[11] Women weave cloth onbackstrap looms, and make containers fromvine orbeadwork.^[14] Rungus modern society have now work in town, with many have abandoned the communal life of thelonghouse.^[15]

As among the most traditional ethnic groups in Sabah, the Rungus are renowned for their richcultural heritage, where they engage in traditional practices with traditional ceremonies,music, language, andmedicinal knowledge,agricultural activities, and former communal living in longhouses.^[16]

Rungus cuisine is mainly prepared using cooking methods like braising, grilling and baking. Being a community of fishermen and farmers, thestaple foods of the Rungus people usually consists of rice and cassava, supplemented withgreen vegetables andfish.^[17]Tinunuvan soguntung is the Rungus term for a preparation of grilled or roastedeggplant.^[7] The cooked eggplant is peeled, and served with chillies,lime juice, toastedanchovies orsalted fish, and sprigs oflompodos (a local variety ofbasil).Tinonggilan is a slightly sparkling alcoholic drink made frommaize.^[18] Akin to the Latin Americancorn beer,Tinonggilan is a Rungus speciality and is usually served during festive occasions, or as refreshments for guests during the performance of a ritual dance calledMongigol Sumundai.^[19] The Rungus also prepare simple sweet foods for breakfast or as daily snacks such asflatbread made from sweetened grated cassava (tinopis runti) andbintanok dalai (mashed cornkuih),^[20] or mashed corn wrapped and steamed in corn husks as well asbintanok runti (mashed cassavakuih), andbintanok punti (mashed bananakuih).^[21]

Magahau is the main and largest festival of the Rungus ethnic group, which is associated with the celebration of the new year according to the traditional calendar of Rungus.^[22][23] Like the Kadazan-Dusuns, Rungus people also celebrateKaamatan, which became part ofMagahau Rungus festival, with the festive, is one of the many festive entities during the month celebrated on 31 May every year.^[24] Even though there are many similarities in the way these festivities are celebrated between the two indigenous races, there are also differences between them. Among the original purposes of theMagahau festival aremamapak/mamasi palad/mangaraha palad (ceremonies related to sustenance),mintutun (introducing oneself),monudung (to find a partner),gimpuhut (the most beautiful girl),bunjal (barter system/selling activities),gontira (sports),posikib dot konsapatan sid keluarga om kinoruhangan (sharing sustenance with family and friends),mongodim dot kovorisan (inviting relatives), andhumigak (partying).^[25]

The celebration during the festival includesmogunum (arrival of crowd),mangantag (traditional festive dance),mangatod (land clearing),mogontong (marriage),lumuvas (clearing away ritual ceremony),^[26]mongolosod (traditional ritual),mabbaris (an ethnic dance similar to Kadazan-Dusunsumazau), andmanaradan (a sacred Rungus dance).^[27] Many of the original traditional practices ofMagahau have shifted following the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 19th century throughout the administration of theNorth Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC).^[25] With the successful improvement of the economy, education, and health of the Rungus ethnic group in North Borneo by the British, many of the originalMagahau ritual practices were abandoned since the practices contradicted the current religious teachings of the major religion of either Christianity or Islam, despite a majority of the ethnic group being well known for their traditional lifestyle.^[28]

The traditional Rungus dress isblack in colour, often with hundreds or even thousands of dollars' worth of antiquebeads.^[29] Traditionally all of the Rungus women wore heavybrass coils around their arms, legs and necks with their brass arm coils are often accompanied by white andcoral shell bracelets.^[14] Rings of brass may also be worn around the waist. The beadwork and its designs easily distinguish the Rungus from the other indigenous ethnic groups of Sabah, where the beadwork's origin is often told through a story of a Rungus man goingspear-hunting for a riverine creature.^[30] Thepinakol consists of a pair of flat beaded bandoleer-type belts worn crossed over the chest and back.^[31]

Thesandang is a pair of long beaded strands, mostly with matching beads, which are worn crossed over the chest like thepinakol.^[32] Thesulau is a flat beaded choker worn around the neck with two clamshell discs, one in front and one in back, with the small bells attached in the front. In the present day, the discs are made out of plastic. Thetinggot is a short choker, either single-beaded or with narrow beadwork, which is worn by men.^[32] Thetogkul is a necklace some 26 inches (66 cm) long with beads similar to thesandang but smaller and worn around the neck.^[33] Thesisingal is a narrow beaded band worn around the head.^[32] Therampai is made of cotton, flowers, and beads worked into the hair. Theorot, which is a little brass ring and antique bead looped through thin strands of stripped bark (togung), becomes a wide and colourful hipband.^[32] To wear this, it is slowly and carefully coiled around the hip, with theorot specially handmade by the Rungus men, as the technique is known only to them.^[30] A last string of beads calledLlobokon is hung loosely from the coil. There are alsosad'ang, earrings that sometimes have beads attached. Many of the beads used by the Rungus are plastic and glass imitations of older heirloom beads. Materials such as plastic spoons were heated over a flame, and the hot plastic was then wound onto a metal rod to make yellow beads.^[33]

The main spoken language are theRungus language.^[34] The ethnic also known for their antique traditional writing which is one of the forms of writinghieroglyphs or calledsurip in the indigenous Rungus language.^[35]

Traditionally, Rungus ethnic practiced anindigenous belief system known aslabus,^[36] although some writers referring to it as a type ofanimism, with priests or shamans calledrampahan and the highest female priestesses calledbobolizan.^[37] The Rungusbobolizan is anintermediary connector withspirit worlds.^[38] In the present days, most Rungus are nowChristians belonging to theProtestant Church in Sabah (PCS) in theLutheran tradition ofProtestantism and although being an ethnic-based church,^[39] it consists mostly ofMalaysian language-speaking congregations throughout Sabah as well as inWest Malaysia with a mission church in the Federal Territory ofLabuan, neighbouringSingapore and developed relationships with sister churches inKalimantan of Indonesian Borneo.^[40] A smaller minorities of this tribe also adhere to other Christian denominations such asRoman Catholicism,Borneo Evangelical Church,Anglicanism,True Jesus Church andSeventh-day Adventism as well as a number ofMuslim minority.^[41][42][43]

Considered as one of the most traditional ethnic groups in Sabah, many ethnic Rungus once lived in longhouses, with each family having its own separate quarters off a common hall.^[44] At the edge of the communal hall, a well-ventilated platform of splitbamboo with outward sloping walls provides a place for socialising and communal work where the longhouse is different from the types ofMurut longhouse.^[11] The houses are not perched on high stilts, with only three to five feet above the ground. The longhouse roof is low, with the walls outward sloped. Among the older Rungus generation, longhouses of over 75 doors are common, while the current modern longhouse are rare to exceed 10 doors.^[11] Some modern two-story versions of the longhouse also exist, and single-family houses are sometimes built near the longhouse.^[45]

• The late Mathius Majihi (1951–2021) – first Rungus became Assistant Minister in Sabah andUnited Sabah Party (PBS) State Legislative Member forMatunggong from 1985–1994.^[46]
• The lateMarkus Majihi [ms] (1960–2018) – the former Rungus Assistant Minister in Sabah and PBS State Legislative Member for Matunggong from 1994–1999.^[47]
• Wetrom Bahanda – former Sabah state minister andKota Marudu MP.^[48]
• Verdon Bahanda –Kudat MP.^[49]
• Redonah Bahanda – Sabah state political secretary to theChief Minister of Sabah.^[50]
• Julita Majungki – Sabah Assistant Minister of Finance and PBS State Legislative Member for Matunggong from 2018–present.^[51]

• Appell, G. N. (1968)."The Dusun Languages of Northern Borneo: The Rungus Dusun and Related Problems".Oceanic Linguistics.7 (1). University of Hawai'i Press:1–15.doi:10.2307/3622844.JSTOR 3622844.
• C.Y. Chen, Paul; Teoh, S.T.; Yap, S.B.; P.T. Ong, Felicia; K.C. Chan, Michiel; Bent, Barbara; Fong, Thomas; C.C. Lee, Mary (1981)."A NUTRITION STUDY OF THE INTERIOR, WEST COAST AND KUDAT DIVISIONS OF SABAH"(PDF).Office of the Director of Medical Services, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia with Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur:1–159.Archived(PDF) from the original on 16 July 2025.
• Benggon-Charuruks, I.; Padasian, J. (1993).Cultures, Customs, and Traditions of Sabah, Malaysia: An Introduction. Sabah Tourism Promotion Corporation.ISBN 978-983-020-000-2.
• Lasimbang, Rita; Moo-Tan, Stella (1997).An Introduction to the Traditional Costumes of Sabah. Natural History Publications.ISBN 978-983-812-013-5.
• Ghazali, Abdullah Zakaria (1997).Malaysia, tokoh dulu dan kini [Malaysia, past and present figures] (in Malay). Penerbit Universiti Malaya.ISBN 978-983-100-029-8.
• Borneo Research Council (Williamsburg, Va) Conference (2000).Borneo 2000: Environment, conservation, and land. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.ISBN 978-983-9257-04-5.
• Bahauddin, Azizi; Abdullah, Aldrin; Maliki, Nor Zarifah (2015)."THE RUNGUS LONGHOUSE OF SABAH, MALAYSIAN BORNEO – A DYING ARCHITECTURE"(PDF).SHS Web of Conferences.18 (2002, ICoLASS 2014 – USM-POTO International Conference on Liberal Arts & Social Sciences): 02002.doi:10.1051/shsconf/20151802002.
• Wong, Anna; Huaimei, Yong; Wong, Christopher; Abd. Shukor, Jumrafiah (2012)."A study on hunting activity of Sambar deer and Bearded pig in Paitan Forest Reserve, Pitas, Sabah, Malaysia".Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation.9 (1):35–47.Archived from the original on 10 August 2025 – via Universiti Malaysia Sabah Journal Management System.
• Pugh-Kitingan, Jacqueline (2015)."Cultural and Religious Diversity in Sabah and Relationships with Surrounding Areas"(PDF).Islam and Cultural Diversity in Southeast Asia. ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.CORE output ID 195718969.Archived(PDF) from the original on 26 May 2025.
• Ooi, Keat Gin (18 December 2017).Historical Dictionary of Malaysia. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.ISBN 978-1-5381-0885-7.
• Lamport, Mark A. (1 June 2018).Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.ISBN 978-1-4422-7157-9.
• Chin Len Lazarus, Esterlina Moo; Abdul Rahman, Mohd Kipli (2021)."Magahau dan Hubungan dengan Kepercayaan Tradisi Etnik Rungus di Sabah" [Magahau and the Traditional Beliefs of the Rungus Ethnic in Sabah].World Management Journal (in Malay).3 (1):41–48.eISSN 2682-8251.Archived from the original on 16 July 2025 – via Malaysian Journal Management System.
• Chin Len Lazarus, Esterlina Moo; Abdul Rahman, Mohd Kipli (2022)."MAGAHAU RUNGUS: DARI UPACARA RITUAL KE PESTA KERAMAIAN" [MAGAHAU RUNGUS: FROM RITUAL CEREMONIES TO PESTA KERAMAIAN].Journal Management System.12 (2).Archived from the original on 16 July 2025 – via Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
• Mohd Khalli, Mohd Nazmi; Sintang, Suraya; Ationg, Romzi (2023)."Islam dan Perubahan Sosial dalam Masyarakat Rungus di Matunggong, Sabah" [Islam and Social Change in the Rungus Community in Matunggong, Sabah](PDF).Journal of Malaysian Studies.Archived(PDF) from the original on 3 November 2024 – via Universiti Sains Malaysia.
• Hamdan, Jelani; Ationg, Romzi; Esa, Mohd Sohaimi; Othman, Irma Wani; Mokhtar, Saifulazry (2023)."Political and Administration Elements within the 'Magahau' of Momogun Rungus Ethnic in Sabah, Malaysia" [POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATION ELEMENTS WITHIN THE ‘MAGAHAU’ OF MOMOGUN RUNGUS ETHNIC IN SABAH, MALAYSIA].International Journal of Law and Government Communication (in Malay).8 (31):19–30.doi:10.35631/IJLGC.831002.Archived from the original on 15 July 2025 – via ResearchGate. Text is licensed by International Journal of Law, Government and Communication (IJLGC) under CC BY-4.0
• Al-Khaza'leh, Bilal Ayed (2023)."Status of Rungus Language as an Indigenous Language Spoken by Rungus Ethnic Group in Eastern Malaysia".Journal of Language Teaching and Research.14 (3):656–664.doi:10.17507/jltr.1403.13.ISSN 1798-4769.Archived from the original on 16 July 2025 – via Academy Publication.
• Chin, James; Leong, Pauline Pooi Yin (13 August 2024).Social Media and Political Communities in Malaysia. ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.ISBN 978-981-5203-16-5.
• Razanah Ali, DK Aliza; Nurul Yaqin, Lalu (2024)."Cultural Practices and Lifestyle of the Momogun Rungus Tribe of the Bavanggazo Longhouse Community in Sabah, Malaysia: Ethnographic Notes".International Journal of Linguistics and Indigenous Culture.2 (2):1–17.doi:10.36312/ijlic.v3i2.2058.Archived from the original on 16 July 2025 – via ResearchGate. Text is licensed by International Journal of Linguistics and Indigenous Culture (IJLIC) under CC BY-SA 4.0
• Musarub, Liviana (2024).Bobolizan dalam Budaya Suku Rungus di Sabah, Malaysia Dikaji dari Perspektif Pendampingan dan Konseling Feminis [Bobolizan in Rungus Culture in Sabah, Malaysia Studied from the Perspective of Feminist Counseling and Assistance].Faculty of Theology Master's Program in Sociology of Religion, Submitted to the Master's Program in Sociology of Religion For the Degree of Master of Science (M. Si) (Thesis) (in Indonesian).Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia. Archived fromthe original on 22 May 2025 – viaSatya Wacana Christian University Institutional Repository.
• Zhee Earn, Tan; Chee Cheang, Sim; Pangayan, Victor (2024)."PERUBAHAN KOSTUM DAN AKSESORI MOMOGUN RUNGUS DI KUDAT, SABAH: SATU TINJAUAN AWAL" [THE CHANGES IN THE MOMOGUN RUNGUS COSTUME & ACCESSORIES IN KUDAT: A PRELIMINARY SURVEY].Jurnal Kinabalu (in Malay).30:90–108.Archived from the original on 16 July 2025 – via Journal Management System, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

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• Romut, Joisin; Sading, Denis J.; Iban, Flora (2013).Inventori budaya etnik negeri Sabah etnik Momogun Rungus [Inventory of ethnic culture of the state of Sabah, Momogun Rungus ethnic group] (in Malay). Sabah State Cultural Board.ISBN 978-967-10848-1-6.

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