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| MALAY OF MALAYSIA |
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Malay of Malaysia People ProfilePopulation and Geographic DistributionThe Malays make up approximately 55% of the population of Malaysia which is currently about 20 million. Thus, there are about 11 million Malays in peninsular Malaysia. The Malays and indigenous groups are usually grouped together under the umbrella term bumiputra (literally "sons of the soil"). The Malays are found predominantly on the peninsula of West Malaysia, where 83% of Malaysias population live. In recent years, the politically powerful Malays have extended their influence over the non-Malay half of the population in education, economic and religious life. Language and LivelihoodMalay has been the language of trade and commerce for the centuries in insular Southeast Asia.
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"My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offereings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations" says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 1:11 |
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When the Malays were converted to Islam in the early 15th century, their language was written in the Jawi (adapted from Arabic) script. Today the Malay language (or Bahasa Melayu) is the official language of Malaysia (thus Malay is also known as Bahasa Malaysia) and it us usually is written in Roman script. Bahasa Malaysia is mutually intelligible and closely related to Bahasa Indonesia.
The Malay were traditionally farmers tied to rural villages or kampung. Before 1970 the Malay elite worked in the civil service, but most Malays were poor farmers. In the past two decades, however, universal access to education and the New Economic Policy (the country's overriding ideology since 1970) has lifted Malays into professions once closed to them and created a large Malay middle class. Today Malays are found in every profession. Although still predominantly rural, Malays dominate in politics, civil service, armed forces and police.
Culture
The Malays are a very relaxed, warm-hearted people who had the good fortune to settle in a land where growing food was easy. For centuries they have been renowned for their hospitality and generosity as well as their well-honed snese of humor. Villages consist of close-knit communities. Brightly colored "Baju Karung" and "Kabaya", which are traditional dress for women along with their "tudong" or headcovering, adorn the streets. And Malay gather until late at night either at the "Pasar malaam" or night market or at the corner to eat spend time together over Teh Tarik, or "pulled tea". Traditional forms of entertainment in Malay villages include shadow puppet plays called Wayang Kulit. If you visit and are fortunate enough to catch traditional music in the villages, you will be soothed with the beautiful sounds of their instruments.
Religion
To be Malay is to be Muslim. To deny Islam means to be denied of citizenship. Islam gained a foothold on the peninsula in 1430, when the ruler of Malacca was converted. Arab merchant ships which made regular calls at Malacca brought Muslim missionaries to the city. Many of these Muslims were Sufis belonging to a mystical order of Islam, which was tolerant of local customs and readily synthesized with existing animist and Hindu beliefs. The adoption of this form of Islam is one reason why animism and the Muslim faith still go hand in hand in Malaysia.
Malays in Malaysia practice Islam by following the five central tenets, known as the Pillars of Islam. Profession of faith and the prayer ritual are performed five times a day. On Fridays the Muslim day of prayer, Malaysian Muslims congregate at mosques in their "Friday best". Men traditionally wear songkoks, which are black velvet hats, to the mosque and often wear their best sarung, (sometimes songket) over their trosers. Those who have performed the Haj or Pilgrimage wear a white skullcap. The daytime month-long fast of Ramadan is aa time of contemplation, worship and piety and this is observed by Malays through the country. Malaysians also practice zakat (almsgiving) which is a tithe contributed to the Muulsim community.
Malays cannot be evangelized openly because it is illegal to proselytize Muslims in Malaysia. It has been reported that some 600 or so Malays who have believed have suffered social ostracism and the loss of legal rights, privileges and jobs.
Some of these Malay believers have had to leave the country. Malay followers of Jesus meet together in some house groups or in multi-ethnic churches, but there are no viable Malay churches. While there is more openness among urban Malays, few believers are actively reaching out to Malays in Malaysia.
MALAYSIAN MALAY PRAYER POINTS..