Matt+-+CD+-+SP13


 * Name: Zikri **


 * Cultural Background: Population: 2.4 Million people, Located on Island of Borneo, Large Variation, Very traditional people, 11 Divisions **


 * Language: The people of Sarawak speak a dialect of Malay. This is called Bahasa Sarawak and is closely related to the neighboring dialects of Indonesia. The modern language has be evolved to incorporate English sounding words such as motor becoming moto. There is another sub group of this language called Bahasa Laut (Sea Language). The amount of languages in the different ethnic groups is overwhelming. The Chinese Sarawak have their own dialect such as Hakka and Hokkien which are used by the same people but change based on occupation and location. Mandarin is the unified language for all parts of Malaysia and is spoken by all dialect groups. **


 * Beliefs: The people of Sarawak practice many different types of religion ranging from traditional animism and Chinese folk to Islamic and the ever popular Christianity. Christianity is the most commonly practiced there and helped them shape an idea of being modest and decent. The Malay people who make up 21% of the population were originally Muslim but were converted to Islamic 600 years ago making the area flourish with art and architecture of that religion. This provides a great mix of religious knowledge through which the people can connect to and experience first hand. Experts around the world call Sarawak “a melting pot of customs and customs.” **


 * Behavior: The behavior of the Sarawakian people isn’t extremely out of the norm of any everyday person. There is nothing really noticeably odd with the way the do things. But the people on the island do have a very adaptive way of living and they have to with the multitude of cultures on the island. The adaptation doesn’t leave them without their own identities as many practice the same way of life as where the original immigrants came from. All around the people of Sarawak are famed for being friendly to visitors such as the Bidayuhs which helps in making the already strong tourism market even better. **


 * Values: The Sarawakian people have a strong sense of value in being kind to all people and being traditional to their native way of live. Many still celebrate a multitude of festivals and celebrations such as the Sarawak Chinese who celebrate Chinese New Year and the Hungry Ghost Festival that are usually exclusive to mainland China. The Ibans form a large part of the Sarawak population and are known for their unique rituals and beliefs with large colorful festivals such as Gawai Dayak (Harvest Festival) where these people meet with others of the Dayak ethnic groups and give greeting cards. **


 * Benefits: The large pool of cultural knowledge that the people can pull from allows them to adapt like they always have to every situation thrown at them. They are familiar with Christianity which is always a positive seeing as it’s the world’s largest religion. The country has also experienced crisis as they were invaded by Japan in World War II which they can use to look back on for ideas of how to handle similar problems. The kindness of the Sarawak is good for forming alliances and maintaining relationships that a UN Ambassador is expected to do. The sense of commitment that the native people have means that they will try to complete their task to the best of their abilities without detouring from the original goal. **


 * Challenges: The traditional ideas of the Sarawak people is a blessing and a curse. While it proves they have the will to stick with the old it means they also are hesitant to accept the new completely. The Sarawak people adapted to the surrounding diversities by accepting them and trying to blend them with their own traditions, but this might not always work. Also the more traditional lifestyle means that they might not be as familiar of how modern first world countries operate in contrast to their own. Inexperience with certain things is what would be a major challenge for a Sarawak official to overcome. **


 * Citations: **

** Works Cited **
 * Chin, Lucas, and Valerie Mashman. Sarawak Cultural Legacy: A Living Tradition. Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia: Society Atelier Sarawak, 1991. Print. **


 * "Discoverborneo - Your Gateway to Malaysian Borneo." Sarawak's Culture Â» Discover Borneo. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. **


 * "The People and Culture of Sarawak, Malaysia - ABC Tours." The People and Culture of Sarawak, Malaysia - ABC Tours. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. **


 * "Sarawak." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. **


 * "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples." Minority Rights Group International : Malaysia : Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Minorities in Sarawak. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. **


 * YouTube. YouTube. YouTube, 27 July 2012. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. . **