The Sakai are a small group of people that lives in small, scattered groups that live in the forest of Southern Thailand and in Malaysia also. Southern Thai people call them wild Rapatan fruit, because this fruit looks a lot like the hair of the Sakai. Sometimes they are called forest people or Sakay, this mean barbarian or strong wild person. But the Sakai people like other people to call them "Orang Asli" This name comes from Malaysia. "Orang Asli" means "The people who were here first" The Sakai like to call themselves the "Mani" This means Human or our group. The Sakai have physical characteristics much like the people of Papua New Guinea.
They are near the border of Malaysia and Southern Thailand. They are in the provinces of Naratiwat, Yala, Satun and Patalung.
In Thailand there are 250 to 300 Sakai people in Thailand. There are many more in Malaysia. A Sakai community usually has 20 to 50 people in it. They are hunters and gatherers mostly. If a person dies, they are afraid of that area because of the spirit of the person. They are also afraid that a tiger will come and eat the body and then come and eat other people. If a person relieves themself close to a person’s house, they will leave and move out. If a Thai person comes and asks that they send their children to school, they will leave the location. They are afraid of other people stealing their children.
There are 4 dailects of Sakai. These different dialects are not able to understand each other, they are in the same family, but very different. Gunsiu: is the first dialect. It is used in the Province of Yala. Danan Dayai and Yahi are the other three. They are used in the provinces of Satun Patalung and Trang. But now days Sakai people use the Southern Thai and Central Thai more than the language of their ancestors. It is slowly disappearing. This is because it is not a written language, oral only.
All four of these groups have the same name for a god like deity. They call him "Bagayba" It means "God the most high creator of all things and is the one who takes care of the Sakai people". They are an animistic people that worship other spirits that are under the main spirit "Bagayba" They believe these spirits live in the rivers, mountains and certain trees.
When a Sakai person is sick, they have a certain ceremony that they do. The head man or the chief of the community will be like a priest for people to worship and pray to Bagayba. He can heal people in the name of Bagayba. This healing ceremony is called "Sahos"
More than 60 years ago Paul Fleming (The founder of New Tribes Mission) went and worked with the Sakai in Malaysia (Then Micronesia), but never worked with the Sakai in Thailand. He only worked with the Sakai for 4 years and nothing is really known about any Sakai believers from this work.
As far as is know there are no missionaries working directly with the Sakai to do church planting or evangelism. If a missionary could come, an African American or African person would be best. The Sakai would feel more open to them since they look like an African person.
Pray for the Kensiu people to have the spiritual hunger it takes to stand up for Jesus in the face of community pressure.
Pray for loving workers.
Pray for Kensiu disciples who will disciple others.
Scripture Prayers for the Kensiu in Thailand.
Kennedy Paizs / Wirot Si Prom
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
