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. As of 2004, Malays made up an estimated 50.4% of the population of Malaysia.
Definition of a Malay
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). 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."[1]
See also
- Bumiputra
- Ketuanan Melayu, the racialist belief that the Malay people are the tuan ("masters") of Malaysia or Malaya.
- United Malays National Organisation
References
- ^ Shuid, Mahdi & Yunus, Mohd. Fauzi (2001). Malaysian Studies, p. 55. Longman. ISBN 983-74-2024-3.
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