Malay Cluster

The Malay Cluster consists of the Orang Pantai Timur, Peninsular Malay, Minangkabau, Bugis, East Malaysia Malay, Singapore Malay, and Brunei Malay people groups. Although similar in many ways, each one of these people groups vary slightly in their living styles, traditions, and languages depending upon which country or state they reside.

The peoples of the Malay Cluster number approximately eleven million. They form the predominant people group in Peninsular Malaysia, a substantial minority in Sarawak and a smaller minority in Sabah. They also form Brunei’s largest people group and the second largest people group after the Chinese in Singapore.

[edit] The People and Their Identity

Traditional Malay peoples find identity in close-knit communities with an emphasis on family values. They see work as a means of living, not a way of life, and accumulation of wealth for its own sake is neither a goal nor does it give prestige. They value cooperation more than competition. As a result, traditional Malay culture centers on the villages. Those living in the riverside villages are predominantly fishermen, sailors, and traders while those who settle further inland are rice farmers.

Many Malay peoples have migrated to the cities where they are heavily involved in the public and private sectors, other professions and industries. Consequently, the more modern Malay peoples are finding identity in business and commercial sectors. In Malaysia and Brunei, the Malay peoples hold considerable political influence over the non-Malay peoples.

Today there is little distinction between those Malays who settled long ago and those who settled in considerable numbers during the later part of the 19th and 20th centuries. Those Malays who settled in more recent years include; the Javanese, the Boyanese, Komering, Acehnese, Riau Malay and Mandailing, especially on the western Malaysian coasts of Johor, Selangor and Lower Perak. There exist several other smaller groups like the Orang Khmer on the eastern Malaysia coasts as well. All of these have assimilated into the larger Malay peoples as a result of common cultural traits and, above all, the bond of Islam.

[edit] Religion

The majority of the Malay people adhere to the Islamic faith. In fact, they were the first converts to Islam in South East Asia. The Malay peoples view Islam as a remembrance of the greatness and mercy of Allah, and their faith finds expression in their joyful and vibrant culture.

In Malaysia, it is said that “to be Malay is to be a Muslim and to be Muslim is to be Malay.” Consequently, the ethnic identity of the Malay people is intrinsically tied to their religious identity.

With Islam and Malayness intrinsically tied together, many Malay Muslims practice and belong to a form of Islam that comes from “the Shafi school of the Sunni tradition” (Provencher 1978:255). Named after Abu ‘Abdullah ibn Idris al-Shafi’i (767-820), the Shafi school of thought emphasizes Muhammad’s sunna, his traditions known as the hadiths, as the interpreter of the Qur’an (Newby 1981:673). This tradition applies “rules of analogy throughout their system” (Newby 1981:673), paying particular attention to rituals before prayers and underlining the importance of Friday congregational worship.

Although Malay Muslims are predominantly “orthodox in their conception and practice of Islam” (Provencher 1978:255), folk Islam varies from region to region. Historically, Islam arrived after Hinduism and Buddhism in Malaysia. Due to the influence of these pre-Islamic religions, Malay Muslims still maintain some pre-Islamic beliefs in spirits, ghosts, and magic.

Although retention of past beliefs still forms a part of the Malay’s belief system, the coming of Islam transformed the Malay world in all aspects of life. Mohammad Taib Osman, professor of Malay Studies at the University of Malaya, insists that “since the fourteenth century AD onwards, it can safely be said that Islam had transformed the culture of the Malays” (1985:47). He further alleges that “the Islamic belief and ethos have become the foundation of the culture of the Malays” (1985:47).

The two main Malay celebrations are Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji.

Hari Raya Puasa is celebrated after one month of fasting during Ramadan. During these festivals and because many Malay peoples work in the cities or some other country, they observe a tradition known as balik kampong (going back to the village). Balik Kampong is a time to build closer ties with family members and friends. It is also a time to feast together. Children go from house to house collecting ‘green packets’ that contain a token sum of money.

Hari Raya Haji is celebrated to honor Muslims who have performed their haj (pilgrimage) in the Holy Land, Mecca. The celebrations include prayer and thanksgiving and a feast for the village people.

[edit] Language

Bahasa Malaysia, a form of the Malay language, is used by most of the Malay people and is also the official language of Malaysia. Some of the Bahasa Malaysia accents differ widely depending on location.

[edit] Culture

The Malay peoples have a complex and highly artistic culture. They are famous for their beautifully crafted and colorful wooden houses that are found in villages. They are also known for kain songket (cloth woven with gold and silver thread) and for their silverware and brassware. The image of Malay culture is the Kris (Malay dagger), which is often associated with magical powers. In olden times, if a Malay man is not wearing his kris he is not properly dressed. Many men still wear the kris for ceremonial occasions.

Good manners and respect, especially shown to the elders by the younger people, are very important. The Malay way of greeting is by shaking hands with the guest using both hands. When a younger person shakes hands with an elder person, the younger person bows during the handshake and kisses the upper side of the older person’s hand.

When giving, receiving, or eating, it is taboo to use the left hand. It should be done using the right hand.

[edit] Conclusion

The Malay Cluster draws together a unique blend of peoples. Many of the Malay people still adhere to traditional values and practices that are oriented toward a peasant and community based living as found in the kampong (village). They share the Malay language, their Islamic religion and a basic Malay-Indonesian culture in the conduct of the village. Moreover, their actions and relationships are defined by Adat, the customary law or way of doing things that combines Islamic law with ancient Malay customs and Hindu elements. However, in the modern trappings of development and the commercially-oriented economies of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, some Malay people are assimilating the values of the Information Age as they interact with other people in their respective countries and with foreigners. As a result, the way Malay people build relationships and communicate with one another is being impacted.

• From "The Peoples of Malayai, Brunei and Singapore," © SEALINK. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Peoples in this Cluster

Source: Joshua Project