MPW1133 MALAYSIAN STUDIES
JANUARY – MARCH 2013 SEMESTER
Topic: Ethnic Group in Malaysia—the Malays
TABLE OF CONTENT
ITEMS | PAGE NUMBERS | Origins of Malays | 3 | Migration of Malays | 3 | Malays Language | 4 | Religion of Malays | 4 | Traditional Things of Malays | 5-6 | References | 7-8 |
Origin of Malays
The Malay race consists of two groupings – Proto Malays and Malay Polynesians which are likely originates from the Yunnan province or surroundings. The early Malay (or Champa) civilizations are: Lin Yi (also called Fu Nan), located in what is South Vietnam and Cambodia today.
The second great civilization of Malays is Sri Vijaya, located in Palembang. After the fall of Sri Vijaya, Parameswara, the prince of Palembang migrated to Malacca, which in turns established the Sultanate and Empire of Malacca.
Migration of Malays
Originally, Malaysia was occupied by the Proto Malays which migrate to the Peninsula in batches during the ice-age, when the continental plate and the Islands were connected by land. This Proto Malays are what we termed today as “orang asli”, the same is true for some other ethnics in Sabah and Sarawak (Ibans, Dayaks etc).
The second major wave of migration is from the Champa, as kingdom expands southwards, which includes the southern Thai peninsula. These Malays are classified as the Malay Polynesians or Melayu Laut. They tend to settled around river mouths and of agrarian society in nature.
From the South, the Malays from Sumatera, formerly of Sri Vijaya empires migrated to Malay Peninsula which the formation of Negeri Sembilan – immigrants from Padang, Sumatra; and the immigration of Bugis diasporas in Johor, Pahang, and Selangor (circa 1500AD until 1900AD). Later on waves of immigrations come from Java to Johor and Selangor, around the period of late 1800s until early 1900s. These immigrants, they are from either Proto Malays origin, or Polynesian Malays.
Malays Language
References: 4. Gamelan (accessed 20 January 2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamelan 5. Dance and music (accessed 20 January 2013) http://www.geographia.com/malaysia/musicdance.html 6 9. Tarian tarian in Malaysia (accessed 20 January 2013) http://tarian-tariandimalaysia.blogspot.com/ 10. Kuda Kepang (accessed 20 January 2013) http://ss84afe.edu.glogster.com/false/ 11. Wau bulan (accessed 20 January 2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wau_bulan 12. Congkak (accessed 20 January 2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congkak 13. Tarian lilin (accessed 20 January 2013) http://kelabkebudayaansmks.blogspot.com/2010/04/tarian-lilin.html 14 15. Joget (accessed 20 January 2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joget