Malaysian Malays
Orang Melayu Malaysia ملايو مليسيا | |
|---|---|
Malay children playing Tarik Upih Pinang, a traditional game that involves dragging a palm frond | |
| Total population | |
| Malay ethnicity 17,610,458 (2023) 57.9% of the Malaysian population | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Malaysia Predominantly in Peninsular Malaysia | |
| Languages | |
| Malayic languages (Numerous vernacular Malay varieties) • Standard Malay • English | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Malaysian Malays (Malay: Orang Melayu Malaysia, Jawi: ملايو مليسيا) are Malaysians of Malay ethnicity whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in the Malay world. They can be broadly classified into two main categories; Anak Jati (indigenous Malays or local Malays) and Anak Dagang (trading Malays or foreign Malays).
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. 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. 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.
According to the 2023 population estimate, Malaysia has a total population of 17.6 million, with Malaysian Malays forming 57.9% of Malaysia's demographics, making them the largest ethnic group in the country. Various socioeconomic factors, including differences in fertility rates, migration trends and government policies, have gradually increased the share of Malays relative to Chinese and Indians since 1957 when the Malays were at about 45%.