Bugis in Malaysia: Who are the Bugis?

The Bugis or Buginese people number up to about 136,000 in Malaysia according to information from the website Joshua Project.

Historically this race of people were sea traders and warriors hailing from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Since their land comprised of hilly and low regions, most of them were farmers, fishermen, sailors and traders (Said, 2004). They were once called the “best merchants” among the eastern islands (Joshua Project, n.d.)

Unlike other ethnic groups in South Sulawesi, the Bugis were people who travelled much, thus reaching Malaysia, Singapore, New Guinea, Philipines, north-western Australia and Madagascar (Said, 2004). They established settlements in the places they visited. They came to Malaysia in the 16^th century, settling parts of Johor, Selangor and Pulau Pinang. Many of them also live scattered along Sabah’s southeast coast. The first Sultan of Johor, Abu Bakar who was the founder of modern day Johor Sultanate was a Malay-Bugis descendant.

Today, in Johor, many of them are landlords of large coconut and coffee plantations while others own small businesses and may be fishermen. They are renowned for their excellent craftsmanship, being able to build houses without the need for nails. Their warrior ancestry can be seen in their values but they are cultured and well-mannered people.

The Bugis were traditionally Hindus, Buddhists and Animists. It was during the 16^th century that the Bugis were exposed to Islam in Indonesia. They were introduced to Islam mainly by three figures: Datuk Sulaiman, Datuk Ri Bandang and Datu Ri Tiro. The Bugis accepted Islam and by the beginning of the 17^th century, Islam was accepted as the formal religion of the Bugis. 98% of Bugis in Malaysia are Muslims. However, despite their conversion to Islam, many Bugis still retain some aspects of their original Hindu and Animist-based culture, thus following a form of “Folk Islam”. This is especially true of the Bugis who live in Indonesia. However, those who live in Malaysia and Singapore are more integrated into the respective Malay and Singaporean culture. The Bugis have many superstitious beliefs that form a part of their lives. These include many do’s and don’ts associated with pregnancy, childbirth, eating, fishing, planting and even opening of windows. An example of this is that the whole skeleton of the fish must be removed and discarded before it can be eaten otherwise it would bring bad luck. Windows are opened while praying to drive away evil and bad luck.

The picture below shows a couple in a Bugis Wedding ceremony.

The Bugis have several marriage traditions which persist until today, especially among traditional families. 

The picture below is of children attending a Bugis wedding in Sulawesi, Indonesia