1 definition by Locitan

Malay is an ethnic group of people who first arrived in the Malay Peninsular and are believed to have come from the southern parts of China. Their main language of communication is Malay with several types of dialects.

The Malay race can be found in Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Brunei and parts of Indonesia.

This race is also defined in the Malaysian Constituition as : " A person who is a Muslim, goes by a Muslim name, Speaks the Malay language at home with their family, and practice the Malay customs and culture". This definition has somewhat included the Indian Muslims residing in Malaysia to treated as a Malay.

A wider net of this is also casted on the Malaysians of mixed lineage of which one of their parents are also Malay and that they now go by a Muslim name and practice the Malay customs.

A person born in Malaysia with mixed parentage of which one of them is ethnically Malay and do not practice the Muslim faith and Malay custom and do not go by a Muslim name cannot be considered a Malay. In the Post Independence era of Malaysia this is practically an impossibility as all Malays need to be a Muslim and that anyone marrying a Muslim must convert to Islam before they are permitted to marry. However in Pre-Indepence Malaysia this was possible resulting a person with Mixed Chinese and Malay parentage be called Baba or Nyonya. Unfortunately Baba and Nyonya's now are considered Chinese and are not entitled to the rights and previleges of other Indegenous people in Malaysia including the Malays.

In Malaysia, the Malays are usually made up of the most elite to the middle class. There is also a huge group of Malays who will never make it out of poverty as they do not have the political connections to bring them out of poverty.

This is a group of people who are very advance in terms of political science and social science. So much so that the other major ethnic groups in Malaysia are outsmart by the Malays and still do not know the fact. The Chinese and the Indians in Malaysia keep thinking that they deserve to be treated better and that the Malay mentality is inferior to their own detriment.
Tun Tan Cheng Lock was a Baba as he is not a Muslim he cannot be considered a Malay hence is not entitled to privileges like other indigenous groups in Malaysia.,
Dr Mahathir Mohamed is considered a Malay as he practices the Muslim faith and goes by a Muslim name and he also practice the Malay custom at home.,
A Malay person will be entitled to special rights according to the New Economic policy practiced in Malaysia,
A person immigrated from neighbouring Indonesia in to Malaysia will be accorded special rights and previliges as a Malay as long as he is able to get an identity card.,
A Malay is a person who speaks Malay as their mother toungue,
by Locitan September 10, 2007
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