Defining "Malay"

In 1992, Prof Tham Seong Chee, then Head of the Malay Studies Department in the National University of Singapore published a forward titled Defining "Malay" for a seminar.

Here is an excerpt from it:

Malays do not represent a pure race. 

There is among the Malays an ongoing melting pot phenomena involving both peoples of Malayo-Austronesian background as well as peoples not indigenous to South East Asia. 

This admixture of ethnic and racial groups can be expected to grow in Singapore. This therefore raises the question vis-à-vis individuals of mix ethnic background viz Malay and Arab, Malay and Indian, Malay and Chinese in their order of importance. 

It is obvious that for such individuals race as an objective criterion cannot be the sole basis of identification. 

Whether the individual regards himself/herself a Malay, Arab, Indian or Chinese as the case may be would depend on subjective factors, in other words on his/her self-definition or formal declaration. 

Today's context:

Article 19B of the Singapore Constitution defines a Malay as "any person, whether of the Malay race or otherwise, who considers himself to be a member of the Malay community and who is generally accepted as a member of the Malay community by that community".

As the forward published in 1992 shows, the definition of a Malay has not been changed to suit the current context.

The definition of Malay is an inclusive one.

In Malaysia, Article 160 of the Federal Constitution defines a Malay thus:

"Malay" means a person who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay custom 

and - (a) was before Merdeka Day born in the Federation or in Singapore or born of parents one of whom was born in the Federation or in Singapore, or is on that day domiciled in the Federation or in Singapore; or (b) is the issue of such a person.