Malaysian Malay
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From Johor Bahru Directory
| Fast Facts | |
|---|---|
| Malaysian Malays | |
| Total population | |
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c. 14 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Malaysian Malay, as defined by Article 160 of the Malaysian Constitution, is someone:
- born to a Malaysian citizen who professes to be a Muslim;
- habitually speaks the Malay language;
- adheres to Malay customs; and
- is domiciled in Malaysia or Singapore.
This definition differs from the anthropological understanding of what constitutes an ethnic Malay, and was devised for political reasons to increase the percentage of Malays within the context of a multiracial society.
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2. As of 2004, Malays made up an estimated 50.4% of the population of Malaysia and is predicted to rise, due to higher birth rates as compared to the other ethnic groups. Surprisingly, official statistics are not readily available in race-conscious Malaysia. However, the Malaysian Department of Statistics states that the total population in 2008 as of September 5 is 27.73 million,[2] thus putting the figure for the Malay population in Malaysia at about 14 million.
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3. The constitutional definition of the term, "Malay", leads to the creation of an ethnoreligious identity,[3] where an ethnic Malay by paternal descent is no longer considered a Malay in Malaysia, once he or she converts out of Islam, as illustrated in the Federal Court decision in the case of Lina Joy.[4] On the other hand, a person who is not considered to be a Malay in any other part of the world would be considered a Malay in Malaysia if he or she fulfils the four criteria set out in Article 160 of the Constitution. An example of this is Jeanne Abdullah, the wife of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is ethnically Portuguese-Eurasian.
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4. A higher education textbook conforming to the government Malaysian studies syllabus states: "The non-Malay thought that is when a non-Malay embraces Islam, he is said to masuk Melayu (Malay: to become a Malay). That person is automatically assumed to be fluent in the Malay language and to be living like a Malay as a result of his close association with the Malays." [5]
