OUR PEOPLE
Malaysia is a multiracial nation. The people of Malaysia are from various races. The three main races or ethnics in Malaysia are Malay, Chinese and Indian. The Malays are Malaysia 's biggest ethnic, which is more 50% of the populace of the nation. Second biggest ethnic group in Malaysia, the Malaysian Chinese structure 25% of the populace. The Indians are 10% of the Malaysia 's populace and is the third and littlest of the three. Besides the three main ethnics, Malaysia also has other minority ethnics, which are the Kadazandusun, Iban, Dusun, Melanau, Bidayuh, Murut, Baba Nyonya etc.
The Malays
Accounting for 50.1% of the Malaysian population, the Malays are the largest ethnic group in the country. Indigenous to the country, the Malays are generally Muslim and practice Malay culture. This means that Muslims of any race are counted as Malays provided they practice Malay culture. The largest community in the country, with their language, Malay, being the national language, Malays are dominant in the political landscape of Malaysia. Their culture is influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, and animism. Aspects of their culture which portray these elements have however been banned or abandoned since the 1980s and 1990s due to the efforts of the "Islamization" Movement.
THE CHINESE
Accounting for 22.6% of the Malaysian population, Chinese Malaysians are the second largest ethnic group in the country. Chinese people have been in Malaysia for centuries, with the peak of this immigration in the nineteenth century. Chinese Malaysians dominate business and trading in the country. At their arrival, the Chinese worked in railway construction and tin mining, and later they began to own businesses. These businesses are today large conglomerates. Their religion is mainly Taoism or Buddhism. The Chinese have over the years absorbed elements of Malaysian culture, intermarrying with the indigenous groups and other ethnic groups as well, which have led to the development of a "new culture" that is a rich mixture of all traditions.
THE INDIANS
Indian Malaysians account for 6.7% of the Malaysian population. Indian subgroups include Tamils, Telugus, and Punjabis. Tamils, who account for 86% of Malaysian Indians, began arriving in the 18th and 19th Centuries during the colonial era. Indian laborers were brought to the country to construct railways, to work in plantations, and in rubber and oil palm estates. Tamils from Ceylon (today Sri Lanka who were English-educated worked as teachers, clerks, public servants, doctors, hospital assistants, and other white collar jobs. Most Punjabis were enlisted in the Malaysian army. Their religions are Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism, with more than 86% practicing Hinduism. Some of the Muslims of South Asian (Indian) ancestry have intermarried with the Malay Muslims and become integrated in Malaysia.
Non-malay bumiputera and other indegenious groups
11.8% of the Malaysian population is comprised by other non-Malay indigenous groups who have also been given Bumiputra status. These tribes include the Dayak, the Iban, the Bidayuhs, the Kadazan, and various aboriginal groups. Other Bumiputras include the Burmese, the Chams, Khmers, and the Malaysian Siamese.