Sindhi in Malaysia


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Sindhi are one of India and Pakistan's oldest people groups. They believe their earliest ancestors came from the region where the Indus River flows into the Arabian Sea. They are named after the Indus River, which in Arabic is called the Sindhu River. They come from the Sindh region, which is part of Pakistan. In the 1880s, the Sindhi began establishing themselves in the Malay Peninsula, settling mainly in Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Malacca, Johor Baru, and Alor Setar as merchants. With the partition of Pakistan from India in 1947, large number of families moved to Malaysia. The Sindhi formed a small but financially successful North Indian community, catering mainly to the textile and tailoring needs of the colonial market.
Unlike other Indian groups in Malaysia during the 19th century who worked in civil administration or plantation work, the Sindhi community had a well-established recruitment agency in Sindh, which employed Sindhi to work with Sindhi firms all over the world, including Malaysia. Newcomers came with the intention of venturing out to establish new work as soon as possible. They worked hard, saved their money, and eventually, started their own business.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Sindhi in Malaysia venture into real estate, electronics, departmental stores, entertainment, food, jewelry, and of course textiles and tailoring. The younger generation is moving into professions such as medicine, engineering, law, and accounting. The Sindhi language is pre-Sanskrit. They borrowed from Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Hindi, and English. Despite strict observance of traditional norms and values, each generation is losing proficiency in the Sindhi language.
Sindhi prefer to marry within their community due to their cultural, linguistic, and religious upbringing. Marriages are often arranged with Sindhi from other countries. Arrangements are made to bring parties together and if all goes well, the marriage is set.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Almost all Malaysian Sindhi are Hindu. Only a small minority is Muslim. The Sindhi's religion bears elements of mysticism, Sufism, Sikhism and Hinduism. Their main deity is Jhoolay La'al-u (an Indus god who is believed to have traveled throughout Sindh on a palla fish). The Sindhi celebrate Cheti-Chand (the birth anniversary of their deity) in April, as their New Year. On the beginning of each month of their calendar, the Sindhi observe Chand (prayers and worship) and end with the Aarthi (waving a lit lamp in front of their deity using an herbal oil called camphor) and dinner.


What Are Their Needs?

Even though some of the Sindhi become economically successful, there are those who are unemployed or earning very low wages. Pray for the much-needed assistance to the Sindhi living below the poverty level. Pray for local Indian believers to relate and respond to the needs of the Sindhi.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers.
Pray for Hindu Sindhis to experience and embrace God’s glory and goodness.
Pray for spiritual hunger among the Sindhis in Malaysia, leading them to the cross.


Scripture Prayers for the Sindhi in Malaysia.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Sindhi
People Name in Country Sindhi
Pronunciation SIN-dee
Alternate Names
Population this Country 32,000
Population all Countries 181,000
Total Countries 8
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 14192
ROP3 Code 109027
ROP25 Code 307539
ROP25 Name Sindhi
Country Malaysia
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 49  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Country Malaysia
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
Persecution Rank 49  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
1.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
93.00 %
Islam
4.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
2.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Sindhi (32,000 speakers)
Language Code snd   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Sindhi (32,000 speakers)
Language Code snd   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Sindhi

Primary Language:  Sindhi

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1825-1981)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1890-1992)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1954)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Recorded oral Bible Oral Bibles
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Sindhi Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Sindhi YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Sindhi YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Sindhi Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Khalid Mahmood - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source Bethany World Prayer Center  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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