Malays facts for kids
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| Total population | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 27.8 million | |||||||||||
| Regions with significant populations | |||||||||||
| Majority populations | |||||||||||
| Malaysia | 14,749,378 (2010 estimate) | ||||||||||
| Brunei | 261,902 (2010 estimate) | ||||||||||
| Indonesia | 8,789,585 (2010 estimate) | ||||||||||
| Thailand | 3,354,475 (2010 estimate) | ||||||||||
| 653,449 (2010 estimate) | |||||||||||
| Languages | |||||||||||
| Malay, Indonesian, Yawi, Thai, English | |||||||||||
| Religion | |||||||||||
| Sunni Islam, small groups of Christians and Buddhists | |||||||||||
| Related ethnic groups | |||||||||||
| Acehnese, Banjarese, Batak, Betawi, Bugis, Burmese Malays, Cape Malays, Cham, Cocos Malays, Javanese, Jawi Peranakan, Kedayan, Melanau, Minang, Orang laut, Sri Lankan Malays, Sundanese, Tausūg, Filipinos and other Austronesian peoples | |||||||||||
The Malays (in Malay: Melayu) are a large group of people living in Southeast Asia. They are known as an Austronesian ethnic group. Most Malays live in the Malay Peninsula and many islands nearby. These areas include Brunei, Singapore, parts of Borneo, and eastern Sumatra.
Contents
Malay People and Culture
The Malay people have a rich history and culture. Their traditional villages are often called "kampongs". These villages are usually built using wood as the main material.
Where Malays Live
Malays make up most of the people in Malaysia and Brunei. They also form important groups in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. This shows how widespread the Malay culture is across Southeast Asia.
Malay Religion
Long ago, the Malay people followed different beliefs, including Animism and some Chinese religions. Today, most Malays are Muslims. There are also smaller groups of Malays who are Christians or Buddhists.
The Malay Language
The Malay language is a very important language in the world. It belongs to the Austronesian family of languages. Most Malays speak one of the many different versions, or dialects, of Malay.
Different Forms of Malay
In Indonesia, the official form of Malay is called Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia). In Malaysia, the standard form is known as Malaysian (Bahasa Malaysia). About 80% of the words in these two dialects are the same. These different names help create a sense of national unity in each country. In Brunei, Thailand, and Singapore, the language is simply called Bahasa Melayu.
How Malay is Written
Today, Malay is usually written using a version of the Roman alphabet, called Rumi. However, Malay can also be written using the Arabic alphabet. This writing style is called Jawi. Jawi is often used for official documents and religious texts. You might see Jawi more often in very traditional Muslim areas, like Kelantan in Malaysia or Pattani in Thailand.
