Malaysian Malay Information & Malaysian Malay Links at HealthHaven.com

Malaysian Malays
Total population
	14.8 million (2008 census)
Languages
	Predominantly Malay with limited usage of English.
Religion
	Predominantly Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i school, with few other schools
Related ethnic groups
	Singaporean Malay, Overseas Indonesian, Overseas Malays, etc.

In Malaysia, the Malay population is defined by Article 160 of the Malaysian Constitution as 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 is loose enough to include people of a variety of ethnic backgrounds, and it therefore differs from the anthropological understanding of what constitutes an ethnic Malay. This understanding of the meaning of "Malay" in Malaysia has led to the creation of an ethnoreligious identity,^[1] where it has been suggested that a Malay cannot convert out of Islam as illustrated in the Federal Court decision in the case of Lina Joy.^[2] As of 2004, Malays made up an estimated 50.4% of the population of Malaysia. It is predicted that this proportion will rise due to birth rates higher than other ethnic groups.

[edit] Definition of a Malay

Main article: Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia

The article defines a Malay as a Malaysian citizen 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. As a result, Malay citizens who convert out of Islam are no longer considered Malay under the law. Likewise, a non-Malay Malaysian who converts to Islam can claim to be a Malay, provided they meet the other conditions. An example of this is Jeanne Abdullah the wife of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is ethnically Portuguese-Eurasian.

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 (become a Malay in Malay language)^{[citation needed]}. 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."^[3]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Frith, T. (September 1, 2000). "Ethno-Religious Identity and Urban Malays in Malaysia" (fee required). Asian Ethnicity (Routledge) 1 (2): 117–129. doi:10.1080/713611705. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/caet/2000/00000001/00000002/art00004#aff_1. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
^ "Federal Court rejects Lina's appeal in a majority decision". The Star. May 31, 2007. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/5/31/nation/17889176&sec=nation&focus=1. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
^ Shuid, Mahdi & Yunus, Mohd. Fauzi (2001). Malaysian Studies, p. 55. Longman. ISBN 983-74-2024-3.

[0] Frith, T. (September 1, 2000). "Ethno-Religious Identity and Urban Malays in Malaysia" (fee required). Asian Ethnicity (Routledge) 1 (2): 117–129. doi:10.1080/713611705. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/caet/2000/00000001/00000002/art00004#aff_1. Retrieved 2008-02-23.

[1] "Federal Court rejects Lina's appeal in a majority decision". The Star. May 31, 2007. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/5/31/nation/17889176&sec=nation&focus=1. Retrieved 2008-02-23.

[2] Shuid, Mahdi & Yunus, Mohd. Fauzi (2001). Malaysian Studies, p. 55. Longman. ISBN 983-74-2024-3.

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