ORANG JAWA

Who are the Orang Jawa?
The Orang Jawa (‘people of Java’, also known
as ‘Javanese’) migrated from Central Java,
Indonesia, to Malaysia from 1880 to 1930. They
migrated to seek a new life away from the Dutch
colonists who ruled Indonesia at that time. Today the
Orang Jawa live throughout Peninsular Malaysia in
parts of Perak, Selangor, and Kedah. There are also
isolated communities in coastal areas of Sabah. Some
Jawa have even gained influential positions in society.
The Chief Minister of Selangor traces his roots back to
Orang Jawa ancestors. The Jawa language is being spoken less and less among
today’s younger Orang Jawa. Most of them have either
never learned it or cannot remember how to speak it.

What are their lives like?
Recent generations of Orang Jawa who live in
cities have assimilated with the general Malay
culture. In the past their parents were farmers,
construction workers and timber workers. Now they
also work as bankers, pilots, engineers, accountants,
and politicians. They are known to be efficient and
industrious. Some Orang Jawa in Selangor work as
Islamic religious teachers.
In some villages, the Orang Jawa maintain their
identity and traditions. People from other Malay
people groups who marry into an Orang Jawa family
sometimes call themselves Orang Jawa, or Jawa
Peranakan. Apart from growing their own vegetables
and raising poultry, some villagers have also started
their own tourism programs to promote the Javanese
way of life.
The Orang Jawa are a very hospitable people, usually
inviting visitors to share a meal with the family.
Families are often quite large, some having between
10 and 17 children. Marriages are grand affairs that
sometimes last up to three days. The giving of love
gifts to the newlyweds is common. Emphasis is placed
on helping one another during weddings rather than
receiving large sums of money. As the Orang Jawa
have become more successful in life, their desire to
recover their cultural Javanese roots has grown.

What do they believe?
The Orang Jawa are predominantly Sunni
Muslims. During weddings and circumcision
rituals they perform the jedur (songs of praise to
the prophet Mohammed) which is compiled in a book
called Silawatan. They also perform the kempling (a
type of dance giving praise to Allah) during religious
occasions. During the performance, they use a tool made from
lamb’s wool and wood. The Qur`an is read before
and after the dance, and it takes a group of between
ten to twenty people to perform it. The kempling
performance is an opportunity for the Orang Jawa to
get together to build ethnic solidarity and unity. It is
also a time for discussing the challenges faced by the
villages.

What are their needs?
The Orang Jawa have a strong Islamic background.
Pray that communication bridges into their
culture could be used to meet the spiritual
needs. Pray that the lives of committed believers will
be a positive influence and could bring about good
relationships with Orang Jawa people.