Malaysians

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Malaysians (Malay: Orang Malaysia) are the citizens of Malaysia. However, non-citizen residents may also claim a Malaysian identity. The country is home to people of various national, ethnic and religious origins. As a result, many Malaysians do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance to Malaysia. The majority of the population, however, belongs to several clearly defined racial groups within the country, each possessing its own distinct culture and traditions: Malaysian Malays, Orang Asli (the aboriginal population), Malaysian Chinese (including the Peranakans), and Malaysian Indians (primarily South Asian Tamils, Sikhs, and Chitty). The majority of the non-Malay and non-aboriginal population in modern Malaysia is made up of immigrants and their descendants. Following the initial period of Portuguese, Dutch and then significantly longer British colonisation, different waves (or peaks) of immigration and settlement of non-indigenous peoples took place over the course of nearly five centuries and continue today. The term came into fruition in 1963 with the signing of the Malaysia Agreement, which provided for the union of North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore with the existing states of Malaya. As such, modern-day Malaysia was formed from different regions whose inhabitants were known as Malayans in West Malaysia, or simply Sarawakians or Sabahans in East Malaysia. Following the initial formation of the Federation of Malaya in 1948, which excluded Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak, the country achieved its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, with its sovereignty expanding over the latter part of the 20th century. World War II, in particular, had sparked a desire among Malayans to see their country recognised as a fully-fledged sovereign state with a distinct citizenship, ultimately culminating in the term "Malaysian" to unite all former colonies. However, Singapore would separate from Malaysia in 1965, with its citizens known as Singaporeans.