This article is about ethnic Malays in Malaysia. For the standard form of the Malay language in Malaysia, see Malaysian Malay. For other uses, see Malay (disambiguation).
Malaysian Malays
Orang Melayu Malaysia ملايو مليسيا
Malay children playing Tarik Upih Pinang, a traditional game that involves dragging a palm frond
Total population
17,610,458 57.9% of the Malaysian population (2023)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Malaysia
Languages
Malay
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Thai Malays
Malay Singaporeans
Malay Indonesians
Bruneian Malay
Filipino Malays and Australian Malays
Malaysian Malays (Malay: Orang Melayu Malaysia, Jawi: ملايو مليسيا) are Malaysians of Malay ethnicity whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in the Malay world. According to the 2023 population estimate, with a total population of 17.6 million, Malaysian Malays form 57.9% of Malaysia's demographics, the largest ethnic group in the country. They can be broadly classified into two main categories; Anak Jati (indigenous Malays or local Malays) and Anak Dagang (trading Malays or foreign Malays).[2][3]
The Anak Jati or native Malays consist of those individuals who adhere to the Malay culture native to the coastal areas of Malay Peninsula and Borneo.[3] Among notable groups include the Bruneians, Kedahans, Kelantanese, Pahangite, Perakians, Sarawakians and Terengganuans. On the other hand, the Anak Dagang or foreign Malays, consist of descendants of immigrants from other parts of Malay Archipelago who became the citizens of the Malay sultanates and were absorbed and assimilated into Malay culture at different times, aided by similarity in lifestyle and common religion.
The foreign Malays have Acehnese, Banjarese, Buginese, Javanese, Mandailing and Minangkabau ancestries that come from Indonesia.[4][5] Some foreign Malays may also come from other parts of Southeast Asia, that includes the Chams of Indochina, Cocos Malays of Australian Cocos (Keeling) Islands as well as the Patani Malays of southern Thailand. There is also a minority of Malays who are partially descended from more recent immigrants from many other countries who have assimilated into Malay Muslim culture.
^"Demographic Statistics Malaysia - First Quarter of 2023" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
^Mohd Hazmi Mohd Rosli; Rahmat Mohamad (5 June 2014). "Were the Malays immigrants?". The Malay Mail Online. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
MalaysianMalays (Malay: Orang Melayu Malaysia, Jawi: ملايو مليسيا) are Malaysians of Malay ethnicity whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in the...
MalaysianMalay (Malay: Bahasa Melayu Malaysia), also known as Standard Malay (Bahasa Melayu piawai), Bahasa Malaysia (lit. 'Malaysian language'), or simply...
(NRIC). Malays, Orang Asli, some Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak, and Malaysian Indians adopt patronymic naming customs. On the other hand, Malaysian Chinese...
Chinese Malaysians, also commonly called locally as Malaysian Chinese, are Malaysian citizens of Han Chinese ethnicity. They form the second-largest ethnic...
Malaysian Indians or Indo-Malaysian are Malaysian citizens of Indian or South Asian ancestry. They now form the third-largest group in Malaysia, after...
The United Malays National Organisation (Malay: Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu; Jawi: ڤرتوبوهن كبڠساءن ملايو برساتو); abbreviated UMNO (/ˈʌmnoʊ/)...
Indonesian and MalaysianMalay are two standardised varieties of the Malay language, the former used officially in Indonesia (and in Timor Leste as a...
and Arabia. Kedahan Malays are one of the largest Malay sub-groups in Malaysia, comprising at least 15% of the total MalaysianMalay population including...
Straits of Johor. The Malay term Tanah Melayu is derived from the word Tanah (land) and Melayu (Malays), thus it means "the Malay land". The term can be...
as the southernmost Burmese. The Malaysian Siamese lead a way of life similar to other MalaysianMalays. Malaysian Siamese still have the strong belief...
formation of Malaysia in 1963 are also considered MalaysianMalays in the national census and were in the same status like the MalaysianMalays domiciled...
status by the Malaysian government and also a part of the MalaysianMalays ethnic group found in the state of Sabah. Most of the Cocos Malays follow the...
Indonesian, ethnic Malays in Indonesia Malay Singaporeans, a broad ethnic group defined by the Singaporean government Riau Malays, ethnic Malays who inhabit...
Malays across the archipelago. They include Malaccan Malay (Malaysian and Indonesian), Kedah Malay, Kedayan/Brunei Malay, Berau Malay, Bangka Malay,...
fourteen-pointed star for a crest and a motto. As the Malaysian coat of arms descended from that of the Federated Malay States under British colonial rule, it resembles...
Malays and the indigenous tribes who are considered the original inhabitants of Malaysia, over non-bumiputera such as Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian...
Brunei known as the Malay Islamic Monarchy. The present-day MalaysianMalays are divided broadly into "Malays proper" or "Peninsular Malays" (Melayu Anak Jati...
significant part of Malaysia's population and Malaysian law considers most of them to be Malays. Malaysia is home to the largest Javanese population outside...
politicians in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) who thought MalaysianMalaysia threatened the Malays' special position in Malaysia. They considered...
parties passed through Malay communities such as Kampung Baru were alleged to be highly provocative, with non-Malays taunting Malays while bearing slogans...
districts of Besut and Northern Setiu). The Kelantanese Malays are closely related to Thai Malays (especially those in Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala and some...
are 40% higher than Malaysian Indians and 56% higher than Malaysian Chinese. Population projections in 2017 show that the Malays and Bumiputeras comprised...
Asia Bruneian Malays, Malays in Brunei MalaysianMalays, Malays in MalaysiaMalay Indonesians, Malays in Indonesia Malay Singaporeans, Malays in Singapore...
Terengganu Malays (Malaysian: Melayu Terengganu; Jawi: ملايو ترڠڬانو; Terengganu Malay: Oghang Tranung), are a Malay ethnic group native to the state...
Indonesian Malaysians (Malay/Indonesian: Orang Malaysia Keturunan Indonesia) are Malaysian citizens of Indonesian ancestry. Today, there are many Malaysian Malays...
newspaper for MalaysianMalays (includes Johorean Malay and Penangite Malay), Malaysian Chinese (includes Penangite Chinese) and Tamil Malaysians community...
and its Malay-language newspaper Utusan Melayu for affirmative action for Malays in Singapore. These culminated in the decision by Malaysian Prime Minister...
Global Information
Malaysia
Sunni Islam