華族

華人佔了砂勞越人口的29.2巴仙，主要是在近一百年移民來的，但華人的商業貿易活動在至少一千五百年前就已經存在。十九世紀初期，砂勞越英殖民時代的白人拉者希望辛勤的新移民能夠提供廉價的勞工和提高農業生產率，所以在他的鼓勵和贊助下，許多華人遷移到這裡。如今華人主要集中在古晉、詩巫、泗里街和美里這四個省份。他們主要住在城市里，以務農為業居多。華人是砂勞越的首批胡椒種植者，也是現今全球最大的胡椒生產者之一。

CHINESE

The Chinese form 29.2% of the State’s population. Most of them have immigrated within the last 100 years, but Chinese trading contacts with Sarawak commenced at least 1,500 years ago. There were some Chinese gold-miners and antimony-workers in Sarawak in the early decades of the 19th centucy. Towards the turn of the century Chinese immigration was actively encouraged and sponsored by the White Rajah. He hoped the hard working newcomers would boost the State’s agricultural production, and provide cheap labour. Today, the Chinese are concentrated in the Kuching, Sibu, Sarikei and Miri Divisions. They are primarily urban, though a significant number is engaged in agriculture. The first pepper planters of Sarawak, now one of the world’s biggest producers of this spice, were Chinese.

 馬來族

馬來族佔了砂勞越人口的20.6巴仙，雖然本州內所有城市都有馬來人，但超過一半是居住在古晉省。有些人自稱自己是馬來族，其實他們是婆羅洲島上的原住民和馬來族通婚的後裔。回教對馬來族有神聖的力量，也是他們的文化傳承的依據，但古老的習俗和信仰暗地里還是存在。比如說，在他們的婚禮上仍有印度教文化的存在。傳統的馬來族聚居在海邊或河岸旁，以捕魚和務農為生。盡管他們遷居到城市里還是喜歡和自己同村同干榜（kampung）的鄰居為鄰。

MALAY

The Malays make up 20.6% of the population of Sarawak. More than half of them live in the Kuching Division, though Malays are found in all townships of the State. Ethnically, some people who call themselves Malay were originally Borneo natives who associated with the early Malay settlers and embraced their religion. Islam is the great unifying force of the Malays, their common inheritance and cultural bond. Older customs and beliefs survive in muted form. Traces of Hinduism may be seen in the elaborate marriage ceremonies, for instance. Fishermen and farmers, the Malays traditionally lived along the sea and in the river estuaries. Many of those who settle in towns prefer the neighbourliness of their own villages, the kampung.