Ethnic group of Malaysia.

Malaysian culture or Malaya culture is a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and various indigenous tribes dating back to more than fifteen hundred years ago from a Kedah kingdom in Lembah Bujang with traders from China and India. Other cultures in the past that influenced heavily on the culture of Malaya include the Persian, Arab and European.Contents[hide]1 Orang Asli and indigenous peoples2 Malay3 Chinese4 Indian5 External links//Orang Asli and indigenous peoplesThe indigenous tribes are the oldest inhabitants of Malaysia. They account for about 5 percent of the total population, and represent a majority in East Malaysia of Sabah and Sarawak. In Sabah, the largest official ethnic group is Kadazan, thought many unofficially recognised subgroups exist. The same can be said of other ethnic groups, with as many as a hundred racial groups forming the state's population. However due to the fact that many subgroups possess only minor differences, they are not always differentiated. In Sarawak, the dominant tribal groups are the Dayak, who typically live in longhouses if in the rural areas and are either Iban or Bidayuh.MalayMalay are Malaysia's largest ethnic group, accounting for over half the population and the national language. By definition of the Malaysian constitution, all Malays are Muslims. Traditional Malay culture can still be found in the village. Malays in different areas of the country speak their own unique dialects that can sometimes be unintelligible to most of their fellow countrymen.ChineseThe first Chinese to settle in the Straits Settlements, primarily in and around Malacca, gradually adopted elements of Malaysian culture and intermarried with the Malaysian community and with this, a new ethnic group called babas (male) and nyonyas (female) emerged. Babas and nyonyas as a group are known as Peranakan. They produced a synthetic set of practices, beliefs, and arts, combining Malay and Chinese traditions in such a way as to create a new culture.The Chinese have been settling in Malaysia for many centuries, as seen in the emergence of the peranakan culture, but the exodus peaked during the nineteenth century through trading and tin-mining. When they first arrived, the Chinese often worked the most grueling jobs like tin mining and railway construction. Later, some of them owned businesses that become large conglomerates in today's Malaysia. Most Chinese are Tao Buddhist and retain strong ties to their ancestral homeland. They form the second largest ethnic group.IndianIndians had been visiting Malaysia for many centuries, but only settled during the nineteenth century. Most came from South India, fleeing a poor economy or by an organised emigration administrated by the British authorities. Arriving in Malaysia, many worked as rubber tappers, while others built the infrastructure or worked as administrators and small businessmen. The Indians form the third largest ethnic group of Malaysia.