Alangkah terkejutnya saya apabila menonton siaran Suria baru-baru ini. Peserta-peserta peringkat akhir Anugerah 2007 telah mendendangkan sebuah lagu dalam sebuah klip video. Saya tidak pasti akan judul lagunya.
Yang saya perhatikan, lima dari keenam-enam para peserta itu mempunyai rambut yang tidak hitam; rambut mereka keperangan.
Setahu saya, orang yang dipanggil Melayu itu, rambutnya hitam. Warna rambut orang Melayu bertukar kelabu atau putih apabila mereka tua. Orang-orang Melayu yang berambut perang lazimnya kacukan orang Melayu dengan orang putih, yakni, ibu atau bapa mereka orang putih yang berambut perang.
Adakah semakin ramai orang Melayu yang berkahwin dengan orang putih? Suatu tren yang menimbulkan kemusykilan besar.
15 Comments
haha dat is so thru my fren…. its more like kacukan golden monkeys which you’ll only see in the singapore zoo…. anw apa khabar sahabat lama…. first time i found out u had a blog thru nizam…
Hanis!!! I am so glad to hear from you. Thanks for visiting :) I am fine, thank you. I hope you’re fine too.
I really like your description! Haha. If I had the means, I would put screencaps of the video side by side with the photos of the monkeys.
i’m good too….. i tink ur idea of putting their pictures besides the monkeys would be hilarious… jus imagine it but there would be a problem though the spca might complain :)
SPCA will complain? Yeah, for making the monkeys look bad, haha!
Masalahnya adakan Melayu tulen wujud lagi? Tidak pernah adanya Melayu tulen sedangkan Parameswara pun dari Palembang. Itulah hakikatnya…asal Melayu adalah memang dari hasil kacukan pelbagai bangsa.
Rauff,
Masalahnya, itu sudah tergelincir dari pokok perbicaraan yang kini sudah jelas.
Hakikatnya, orang Melayu serta nenek moyangnya adalah keturunan orang Timur yang berambut hitam. Ini jelas dan tidak boleh dipertikaikan. Jika mahu, boleh dibuktikan dengan mengira peratusan orang Melayu yang berambut hitam di seluruh nusantara ini.
Menjawab soalan saudara, sukar dikatakan sama ada Melayu tulen masih ada lagi. Ia tergantung kepada takrif “Melayu tulen”.
Jika hendak dibincangkan dari segi pertalian darah, memang orang Melayu kini darahnya sudah bercampur-campur. Namun demikian, menurut ahli-ahli antropologi, orang Melayu kuno berasal dari daerah negeri Cina. Adakah ini bermaksud kita orang Cina juga? Tentu tidak. Juga, apabila kita bercakap tentang “orang Melayu”, pertalian darah bukanlah penentu utama yang timbul di benak kita.
Jika diteliti kembali karangan saya itu, saya tidak merujuk kepada “Melayu tulen”, tetapi “orang Melayu” dan “orang yang dipanggil Melayu”. Mudahnya, orang Melayu itu orang yang dipanggil Melayu. Orang yang pandai berbahasa Melayu dan mengikuti cara-cara budaya (adab, pakaian, dsbg.) Melayu itu boleh dipanggil Melayu. Nak kepastian? Barulah lihat darahnya, sama ada salah satu atau kedua orang tuanya juga Melayu.
“Melayu tulen”? Sukar sekali mencari “ketulenan” itu. Tapi yang saya pasti, orang Melayu itu berambut hitam, melainkan ibu atau bapanya dari keturunan orang bukan Melayu yang tidak berambut hitam.
Hitam atau keperangan, itu sahaja warna rambut makhluk yang dipanggil manusia, bukan?
I watched an earlier episode of Anugerah where all of the contestants were subjected to a “makeover”. It’s silly how they were all given the same colour hair dye. They all look the same! That was the makeover - to make them look like one another? It’s hilarious how black hair is now unique. These days, if you want to stand out in the sea of bottle blondes/browns/reds, just leave your hair be. I have never dyed or highlighted my black hair, and I’m proud of being different.
Additionally, blonde hair on brown skin is really disgusting; why won’t people realise that?!
Additionally, blonde hair on brown skin is really disgusting; why won’t people realise that?!
Right on!
Hmm, I didn’t know they went to the extent of dyeing hair on TV during the show itself; I thought they were more subtle than that. If I understood you right, this means that the producers are complicit in setting a negative example to the masses.
Introspectif
My point exactly. What is the fuss about Malay this and Malay that? One way or the other we are all linked anyhow. Besides the term “Melayu tulen” has been used by BTN as well as GPMS. I have been to their programs…the agenda is totally different when there are only Malays in the program. Thats when their true colours show and racism flourish.
Rauff,
I am sorry to see from your comment that
1. you have failed to grasp the fact that you’ve missed my point, even after I have told you very plainly in Malay in my reply (comment no. 6); and
2. you did not manage to make a reasonable guess at what I’ve actually written about, even after another comment (comment no. 7 by Sha) gave it away very obviously.
I read on your blog that you are a Malaysian. Perhaps that has contributed to your misunderstanding (or the lack thereof) of my writing, which is contextually set in Singapore.
It’s getting tiring. God help us all.
Oh yes. The entire episode was dedicated to the supposed “makeover”. The girls’s eyebrows were plucked thin and their faces piled with foundation, and everyone’s hair was treated to a trim and dye job from the same box of dye. I just kept shaking my head and sighing. Apa nak jadi?
Sigh…
It makes no difference if you are a Singaporean Malay or Malaysian Malay. It’s not an argument that I want to pursue. But I am simply pointing out the change of either cosmetic appearance or political preference may make some of us forget who we really are. Roots man…if it sticks at the back of our heads that Malays are still Malays regardless how we try to hide it with we should not steer too far away in the end. Why I refer certain to certain Malaysian Malay organization is simply because to point there are actually avid Malay activist who wants to ensure the continuity of Malay and be proud of it. Just that sometimes the approach is akin to a military boot camp.
So I am not rebutting you at all. But in actual fact agreeing to what you have said. And yes I am a Malaysian and our situation here is not that much different from where you are.
Rauff
It’s good that you have clarified yourself.
The difference between being a Singaporean or a Malaysian is that, if you are a Singaporean, it is more likely that you’ve seen the television show that I referred to. That would determine how a reader understands what I have written i.e. whether I was writing mainly on subject of Malay identity, or, just hair colour.
Another difference worth mentioning is that a Singaporean would less likely to know what “BTN” and “GPMS” are about, or any other political developments that are particular to Malaysia.
Any other argument on the Singaporean/Malaysian difference beyond this, I am not pursuing either.
It’s been interesting to read such free-flowing comments on an all “Malay” free for all. While we are on the subject, how many of you have read the book entitled “Contesting Malayness - Malay Identity Across Boundaries” Edited by Timothy P. Barnard published by Singapore University Press. (Read here for more and here and here )
Written by a Professor of National University of Singapore. Cost S$32 (about). It reflects the Anthropologists views that there is no such race as the “Malays” to begin with. If we follow the original migration of the Southern Chinese of 6,000yrs ago, they moved into Taiwan, (now the Alisan), then into the Phillipines (now the Aeta) and moved into Borneo (4,500yrs ago) (Dayak). They also split into Sulawesi and progressed into Jawa, and Sumatera. The final migration was to the Malayan Peninsular 3,000yrs ago. A sub-group from Borneo also moved to Champa in Vietnam at 4,500yrs ago.
Interestingly, the Champa deviant group moved back to present day Kelantan. There are also traces of the Dong Song and HoaBinh migration from Vietnam and Cambodia. To confuse the issue, there was also the Southern Thai migration, from what we know as Pattani today. (see also “Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsular”)
Of course, we also have the Minangkabau’s which come from the descendants of Alexander the Great and a West Indian Princess. (Sejarah Melayu page 1-3)
So the million Dollar Question… Is there really a race called the “Malays”? All anthropologists DO NOT SEEM TO THINK SO.
Neither do the “Malays” who live on the West Coast of Johor. They’d rather be called Javanese. What about the west coast Kedah inhabitants who prefer to be known as “Achenese”? or the Ibans who simply want to be known as IBANS. Try calling a Kelabit a “Malay” and see what response you get… you’ll be so glad that their Head-Hunting days are over.
In an article in the Star, dated: Dec 3rd 2006
available for on-line viewing at:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/12/3/focus/16212814&sec=focus
An excerp is reproduced here below:
“The Malays – taken as an aggregation of people of different ethnic backgrounds but who speak the same language or family of languages and share common cultural and traditional ties – are essentially a new race, compared to the Chinese, Indians and the Arabs with their long histories of quests and conquests.
The Malay nation, therefore, covers people of various ethnic stock, including Javanese, Bugis, Bawean, Achehnese, Thai, orang asli, the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak and descendants of Indian Muslims who had married local women.
Beneath these variations, however, there is a common steely core that is bent on changing the Malay persona from its perceived lethargic character to one that is brave, bold and ready to take on the world. ”
The definition of “Malay” is therefore simply a collection of people’s who speak a similar type language. With what is meant by a similar type language does not mean that the words are similar. Linguists call this the “Lego-type” language, where words are added on to the root word to make meaning and give tenses and such. Somehow, the Indonesians disagree with this classification and insist on being called “Indonesians” even though the majority of “Malays” have their roots in parts of Indonesia? They refuse to be called “Malay”…. Anyhow you may define it.
The writer failed to identify (probably didn’t know), that the “Malay” definition also includes, the Champa, Dong Song, HoabinHian, The Taiwanese Alisan and the Philippino Aetas. He also did not identify that the “Orang Asli” are (for lack of a better term) ex-Africans. If you try to call any one of our East Malaysian brothers an “Orang Asli”, they WILL BEAT YOU UP! I had to repeat this because almost all West Malaysians make the same mistake when we cross the South China Sea. Worse, somehow, they feel even more insulted when you call them “Malay”. Somehow, “kurang ajar” is uttered below their breath as if “Malay” was a really bad word for them. I’m still trying to figure this one out.
Watch “Malays in Africa”; a Museum Negara produced DVD. Also, the “Champa Malays” by the same.
With this classification, they MUST also include the Phillipinos, the Papua New Guineans, the Australian Aboroginies, as well as the Polynesian Aboroginies. These are of the Australo Melanesians who migrated out of Africa 60,000yrs ago.
Getting interesting? Read on…
“Malay” should also include the Taiwanese singer “Ah Mei” who is Alisan as her tribe are the anscestors of the “Malays”. And finally, you will need to define the Southern Chinese (Southern Province) as Malay also, since they are from the same stock 6,000yrs ago.
Try calling the Bugis a “Malay”. Interestingly, the Bugis, who predominantly live on Sulawesi are not even Indonesians. Neither do they fall into the same group as the migrating Southern Chinese of 6,000yrs ago nor the Australo Melanesian group from Africa.
Ready for this?
The Bugis are the cross-breed between the Chinese and the Arabs. (FYI, a runaway Ming Dynasty official whom Cheng Ho was sent to hunt down) Interestingly, the Bugis were career Pirates in the Johor-Riau Island areas. Now the nephew of Daeng Kemboja was appointed the First Sultan of Selangor. That makes the entire Selangor Sultanate part Arab, part Chinese! Try talking to the Bugis Museum curator near Kukup in Johor. Kukup is located near the most south-western tip of Johor. (Due south of Pontian Kechil)
Let’s not even get into the Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekiu, and Hang Lekir, who shared the same family last name as the other super famous “Hang” family member… Hang Li Poh. And who was she? the princess of a Ming Dynasty Emperor who was sent to marry the Sultan of Malacca. Won’t that make the entire Malacca Sultanate downline “Baba” ? Since the older son of the collapsed Malaccan Sultanate got killed in Johor, (the current Sultanate is the downline of the then, Bendahara) the only other son became the Sultan of Perak. Do we see any Chinese-ness in Raja Azlan? Is he the descendant of Hang Li Poh?
Next question. If the Baba’s are part Malay, why have they been marginalized by NOT BEING BUMIPUTERA? Which part of “Malay” are they not? Whatever the answer, why then are the Portugese of Malacca BUMIPUTERA? Did they not come 100yrs AFTER the arrival of the first Baba’s? Parameswara founded Malacca in 1411. The Portugese came in 1511, and the Dutch in the 1600’s. Strangely, the Baba’s were in fact once classified a Bumiputera, but a decided that they were strangely “declassified” in the 1960’s. WHY?
The Sultan of Kelantan had similar roots to the Pattani Kingdom making him of Thai origin. And what is this “coffee table book” by the Sultan of Perlis claiming to be the direct descendant of the prophet Muhammed? Somehow we see Prof Khoo Khay Khim’s signature name on the book. I’ll pay good money to own a copy of it myself. Anyone has a spare?
So, how many of you have met with orang Asli’s? the more northern you go, the more African they look. Why are they called Negrito’s? It is a Spanish word, from which directly transalates “mini Negros”. The more southern you go, the more “Indonesian” they look. And the ones who live at Cameron Highlands kinda look 50-50. You can see the Batek at Taman Negara, who really look like Eddie Murphy to a certain degree. Or the Negritos who live at the Thai border near Temenggor Lake (north Perak). The Mah Meri in Carrie Island look almost like the Jakuns in Endau Rompin. Half African, half Indonesian.
By definition, (this is super eye-opening) there was a Hindu Malay Empire in Kedah. Yes, I said right… The Malays were Hindu. It was, by the old name Langkasuka. Today known as Lembah Bujang. This Hindu Malay Empire was 2,000yrs old. Pre-dating Borrobudor AND Angkor Watt. Who came about around 500-600yrs later. Lembah Bujang was THE mighty trading empire, and its biggest influence was by the Indians who were here to help start it. By definition, this should make the Indians BUMIPUTERAS too since they were here 2,000yrs ago! Why are they marginalized?
Of the 3 books listed, “Contesting Malayness” (about S$32 for soft cover) is “banned” in Malaysia; you will need to “smuggle” it into Malaysia; for very obvious reasons…. :( or read it in Singapore if you don’t feel like breaking the law.
The other, “Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago, and the Malay Peninsular” (about RM84) are openly sold at all leading bookshops; Kinokuniya, MPH, Borders, Popular, Times, etc. You should be able to find a fair bit of what I’ve been quoting in this book too, but mind you, it is very heavy reading material, and you will struggle through the initial 200+ pages. It is extremely technical in nature. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t banned (yet)…coz our authorities couldn’t make head or tail of it? (FYI, if I wasn’t doing research for my film, I wouldn’t have read it in its entirety)
While the “Sejarah Melayu” (about RM 35) is available at the University Malaya bookshop. I have both the English and Royal Malay version published by MBRAS.
Incidentally, the Professor (Author) was invited to speak on this very subject about 2 yrs ago, in KL, invited by the MBRAS. You can imagine the “chaos” this seminar created…… :(
There were actually many sources for these findings. Any older Philippino Museum Journal also carries these migration stories. This migration is also on display at the Philippines National Museum in Luzon. However, they end with the Aeta, and only briefly mention that the migration continued to Indonesia and Malaysia, but fully acknowledge that all Philippinos came from Taiwan. And before Taiwan, China. There is another book (part of a series) called the “Archipelago Series” endorsed by Tun Mahatir and Marina Mohammad, which states the very same thing right at the introduction on page one. “… that the Malays migrated out of Southern China some 6,000yrs ago…”. I believe it is called the “Pre-History of Malaysia” Hard Cover, about RM99 found in (mostly) MPH. They also carry “Pre-History of Indonesia” by the same authors for the same price.
It is most interesting to note that our Museum officials invented brand new unheard-of terms such as “Proto-Malay” and “Deutero-Malay”, to replace the accepted Scientific Term, Australo-Melanesians (African descent) and Austronesians (Chinese Descent, or Mongoloid to be precise) in keeping in line with creating this new “Malay” term.. They also created the new term called the Melayu-Polynesian. (Which Melayu exists in the Polynesian Islands?) Maybe they were just trying to be “Patriotic” and “Nationalistic”… who knows…? After all, we also invented the term, “Malaysian Time”. While the rest of the world calls it “Tardy” and “Late”. It’s quite an embarrassment actually…. Singaporeans crossing the border are asked to set their watches back by about 100yrs, to adjust to “Malaysian Time”…
In a nutshell, the British Colonial Masters, who, for lack of a better description, needed a “blanket” category for ease of classification, used the term “Malay”.
The only other logical explanation, which I have heard, was that “Malaya” came as a derivative of “Himalaya”, where at Langkasuka, or Lembah Bujang today was where the Indians were describing the locals as “Malai” which means “Hill People” in Tamil. This made perfect sense as the focal point at that time was at Gunung Jerai, and the entire Peninsular had a “Mountain Range” “Banjaran Titiwangsa”, as we call it.
The Mandarin and Cantonese accurately maintain the accurate pronunciation of “Malai Ren” and “Malai Yun” respectively till this very day. Where “ren” and “yun” both mean “peoples”.
Interestingly, “Kadar” and “Kidara”, Hindi and Sanskrit words accurately describe “Kedah” of today. They both mean “fertile Land for Rice cultivation. Again, a name given by the Indians 2,000yrs ago during the “Golden Hindu Era” for a duration of 1,500yrs.
It was during the “Golden Hindu Era” that the new term which the Hindu Malay leaders also adopted the titles, “Sultan” and “Raja”. The Malay Royalty were Hindu at that time, as all of Southeast Asia was under strong Indian influence, including Borrobudor, and Angkor Watt. Bali today still practices devout Hindu Beliefs. The snake amulet worn by the Sultans of today, The Royal Dias, and even the “Pelamin” for weddings are tell-tale signs of these strong Indian influences. So, it was NOT Parameswara who was the first Sultan in Malaya. Sultanage existed approximately 1,500years before he set foot on the Peninsular during the “Golden Hindu Era” of Malaysia. And they were all Hindu.
“PreHistory of Malaysia” also talks about the “Lost Kingdom” of the “Chi-Tu” where the local Malay Kingdom were Buddhists. The rest of the “Malays” were Animistic Pagans.
But you may say, “Sejarah Melayu” calls it “Melayu”? Yes, it does. Read it again; is it trying to describe the 200-odd population hamlet near Palembang by the name “Melayu”?(Google Earth will show this village).
By that same definition, then, the Achehnese should be considered a “race”. So should the Bugis and the Bataks, to be fair. Orang Acheh, Orang Bugis, Orang Laut, Orang Melayu now mean the same… descriptions of ethnic tribes, at best. And since the “Malays” of today are not all descendants of the “Melayu” kampung in Jambi (if I remember correctly), the term Melayu has been wrongly termed. From day one. Maybe this is why the Johoreans still call themselves either Bugis, or Javanese until today. So do the Achehnese on the West coast of Kedah & Perlis and the Kelantanese insist that they came from Champa, Vietnam.
Morover, the fact that the first 3 pages claiming that “Melayu” comes from Alexander the Great and the West Indian Princess doesn’t help. More importantly, it was written in 1623. By then, the Indians had been calling the locals “Malai” for 1,500 yrs already. So the name stuck….
And with the Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals in page 1-3) naming the grandson of Iskandar Zulkarnain, and the West Indian Princess forming the Minangkabau. Whenever a Malay is asked about it, he usually says it is “Karut” (bullshit), but all Malayan based historians insist on using Sejarah Melayu as THE main reference book for which “Malay” history is based upon. The only other books are “Misa Melayu”, “Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa”, and “Hikayat Hang Tuah” which is of another long and sometimes “heated” discussion.
I find this strange.
I also find, that it is strange that the “Chitti’s” (Indian+Malay) of Malacca are categorized as Bumiputera, while their Baba brothers are not. Why? Both existed during the Parameswara days. Which part of the “Malay” side of the Baba’s is not good enough for Bumiputera classification? Re-instate them. They used to be Bumiputera pre 1960’s anyway.
Instead of “Malay”, I believe that “Maphilindo” (circa 1963) would have been the closest in accurately trying to describe the Malays. However, going by that definition, it should most accurately be “MaphilindoThaiChinDiaVietWanGreekCamfrica”. And it is because of this; even our University Malaya Anthropology professors cannot look at you in the eye and truthfully say that the word “Malay” technically and accurately defines a race.
This is most unfortunate.
So, in a nutshell, the “Malays” (anthropologists will disagree with this “race” definition) are TRULY ASIA !!! For once the Tourism Ministry got it right….
We should stop calling this country “Tanah Melayu” instead call it, “Tanah Truly Asia”
You must understand now, why I was “tickled pink” when I found out that the Visit Malaysia slogan for 2007 was “Truly Asia”. They are so correct… (even though they missed out Greece and Africa)
BTW, the name UMNO should be changed to UTANO the new official acronym for “United Truly Asia National Organization” . After all, they started out as a Bugis club in Johor anyway….
I told you all that I hate race classifications…. This is so depressing. Even more depressing is that the “malays” are not even a race; not since day one.
“Truly Asia Boleh”
Michael
I really admire your effort in writing such a long, information-packed and entertaining comment.
I agree with you that it is hard to define what/who a “Malay” is. Acknowledging this, the complications compound when politics come into play i.e. when policies are made based on definitions of Malay that are until now elusive and controversial. Therefore, I feel I must make it clear that I support none of the race-based politics.
Although it is hard to define “Malay”, I am sure it is easier to point out that there are native speakers of Bahasa Melayu. I prefer to call it Bahasa Melayu, because perhaps “Bahasa Malaysia” is bound to be complicated, since Malaysia is a country; the same I feel for “Bahasa Indonesia”. Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Melayu are in essence the same, but Bahasa Melayu is a more Singaporean term, for obvious reasons; again, I don’t like to go into politics. But judging by the name alone, Bahasa Melayu is a more neutral term, because it doesn’t attach itself to a particular nationality, and hence, my preference for it.
My theory and proposal is simple: as long as there are people who natively speak this common language, let’s call them “Malay” or “Malay people” (from “orang Melayu”).
Yes, the Malays living around West Malaysia and Singapore come from different places and have different ancestral roots. That’s fine. But inter-marriages and settlement after migration are making them converge based on language alone. Yes, I am sure there are people who are still proud of their roots by calling themselves “orang Jawa”, “orang Boyan”, “orang Bugis” or whatever, but inter-marriages would inevitably blur these lines, and the only thing they can fall back on for their identity is their language. That language is a mixture of their ancestors’ languages which has now come to be known as Bahasa Melayu.
I would like to relate a personal example. Technically, my great great grandfather is a Chinese man who married a Malaccan. Wow, some roots there. So technically, I must be Baba or something. But now, I am not living in Malacca; I am living in Singapore. I know how to speak Bahasa Melayu, but I do not know how to speak any dialect of Chinese. I don’t wear clothes like my Baba ancestors probably wore; I wear casual Tshirt and jeans when I go out, and occasionally, what I know now to be “Baju Melayu”. I am sure it is the same with many others who fall within my definition of “Malay”, regardless whether originally “orang Boyan”, “orang Jawa”, “orang Baba” or others.
But let’s digress for a bit. Who are Chinese? People who speak Chinese? I know there are people who speak Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Mandarin… wait, Mandarin? Mandarin was officially made Standard Chinese, official language of China. I know the speakers of those language look somewhat alike, but technically, were there “Chinese” people? Were there “Chinese” people before “China”? Oops, “China” was only Zhongguo, and the term “China” apparently came from outsiders who wished to refer to the Qin Dynasty. So, how about the dynasties before that, the Shang and Zhou dynasties? Were the people known as or called themselves Shangese and Zhouese?
How about the English? Who are English? There are people who speak Irish, Scottish, British English, American English… all are “English”, and they look pretty much alike (”orang putih”). Oh wait, English is a Germanic language? Does that mean English people are Germans too? And there were influences from Old French, Latin and Greek — does this mean they are GermFrencLatGreekIsh too?
How about the Indians? Who are Indians? There are people who speak Tamil, Urdu Bangladeshi, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi… all are “Indian”, and they roughly look the same. Are they BanglaTamilHindBengPun…i too?
From these, I could draw parallels to the people who speak Bahasa Boyan, Bahasa Jawa, Bahasa Kelantan, Bahasa Bugis… all amalgamating to form speakers of Bahasa Melayu.
What I wish conclude is, “Malay” is a man-made term as much as “English”, “Chinese” or “Arab”. What differentiates between them is their history. Malay history seems so insignificant because it is relatively so short, and in our so relatively short history, we haven’t been warring or conquering or colonising other people. In fact, we ourselves have been colonised. Maybe that makes for much of the belittling from outsiders. Maybe there’s the geographical factor too, in terms of land size. And perhaps more certainly, there’s the military factor, since we were still wielding keris and parang when the Chinese, British and the Dutch had wholesome gunpowder.
That said, however, the de facto establishment of a “Malay” language, Bahasa Melayu, demonstrates the ability of this certain group of people to unite/converge under a shared identity. And as it goes with the English, Indian or Chinese, we look generally alike to each other too, unsurprisingly.
Next thing, call it “race” or whatever—I have no objections against the establishment of a “Malay people” under a same language, Bahasa Melayu. In fact, for as long as we understand each other when we talk, I might regard some Indonesian people as Malay too. In fact, I have gone under a school excursion to Pulau Penyengat, which is technically “Indonesian” for it is in Indonesia, but the people there speak pure Bahasa Melayu (i.e. with no hint of Bahasa Indonesia), and are proud to be once part of a Malay Sultanate. And I have Indonesian friends and relatives with whom I speak a mixture of Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia; I can still regard them as Melayu, but of course I don’t have to ask them “kau Melayu?” or tell (or classify or label) them “kau Melayu”. Again, inter-marriages and migration will blur these distinctions, moreover that Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Melayu are not very different. The people on the West Coast of Johor who claim themselves to be Javanese but can speak Bahasa Melayu, might be a case in point.
I must emphasise again, however, that Bahasa Melayu must be the first language; otherwise, I can call myself English too — God forbid — simply because I speak English (but as a second language).
From here on, it is up to us what we want to do with this shared identity. Look at India. “India” is originally an outsider’s term, and India has been colonised by the British before. Look at where India is now. “Malay” is not much different.