Indonesian citizens in Malaysia

Last updated
Indonesians in Malaysia
Total population
estimated 2,500,000 (2024) [1]
Regions with significant populations
Nationwide
less population in Terengganu and Kelantan
Languages
Religion
Related ethnic groups
Indonesian diaspora
Chow Kit, area that features a large Indonesian community in Kuala Lumpur. Jalan Abdul Rahman - Chow Kit.JPG
Chow Kit, area that features a large Indonesian community in Kuala Lumpur.

Indonesian citizens in Malaysia are Indonesian citizens who live and work in Malaysia. Indonesians in Malaysia comprised a large numbers of labour and domestic workers. It is estimated that 83 percent of migrant workers in Malaysia are Indonesian. [2]

Contents

History

Native Indonesians in Labuan Island, British Borneo (present-day Malaysia) serving coconut water to Australian troops as a gratitude during the Battle of Labuan to recapture the island from the Japanese. Native Indonesians in Labuan (AWM 018717).JPG
Native Indonesians in Labuan Island, British Borneo (present-day Malaysia) serving coconut water to Australian troops as a gratitude during the Battle of Labuan to recapture the island from the Japanese.

The migration of Indonesian to Malaysia can be traced back since before the colonial time especially during the Srivijaya and Majapahit administration. Interracial marriages between Sultanates such as between Sultan Mansur Shah of Malacca and the Princess Raden Galuh Chandra Kirana of Majapahit are stated in the Malay Annals . [3] Other historical texts such as Tuhfat al-Nafis (known as Sejarah Melayu dan Bugis (History of the Malays and Bugis)), stated the relations between different Sultanates of Johor-Riau, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Pahang, and Terengganu on the peninsula with the east and west coasts of Sumatra and Kalimantan. [3]

As the British assumed control over the whole territory of the present-day Malaysia during the colonial period, Malaysia was integrated into world commodity and capital markets, became the provider of resources for its coloniser (suzerain) and began to facing the shortage of labour workers. [2] The British then searching for labour source from countries like India and China. The Javanese became the third labour source and the British viewed and treated them different from the Indian and Chinese as they were regarded as origination from the same racial stock as the Malays. [2] A pattern of differential treatment for migrants based on ethnicity was thus established, which was to have major implications for labour migration into Malaya after independence in 1957. [2] The flow of Indonesian migrant workers to the West Malaysia experienced a sharp increase in the 1930s. The results of the 1950 Malaysian population census indicated that there were 189,450 people born in the Island of Java, 62,200 people originated from South Kalimantan, 26,300 people from Sumatra, 24,000 people from the Island of Bawean (East Java), and another 7,000 people from Sulawesi. [2] The movement received a declined following the war between the two countries but rise again when the relationship been improved. The movement then saw a significant rise in the 1970s following the implementation of the New Economic Policy in Malaysia. [2]

Cultures-influenced

As there is a huge intermarriage and connection between peoples in both countries, culture spread are not an unusual thing in Malaysia despite national sentiments issue and accusation by neighbouring Indonesia over the alleged stealing of culture. [4] For example, most Indonesian influenced food heritage such as Amplang, Ayam penyet, Bakso, Botok botok, Bubur pedas, Lontong, Nasi kuning, Pecal, Rempeyek, Rendang, Soto, Telur pindang and Tempeh are very popular in Malaysia since been introduced by their own peoples even before the colonial period when the cultural exchange was happen. [5]

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo</span> Island in Southeast Asia

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, with an area of 748,168 km2 (288,869 sq mi). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda Islands, located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Malaysia</span>

Malaysia is a modern concept, created in the second half of the 20th century. However, contemporary Malaysia regards the entire history of Malaya and Borneo, spanning thousands of years back to prehistoric times, as its own history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Kalimantan</span> Province in Indonesia

South Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is the smallest province in Kalimantan, the Indonesian territory of Borneo. The provincial capital was Banjarmasin until 15 February 2022 when it was legally moved to Banjarbaru. The population of South Kalimantan was recorded at just over 3.625 million people at the 2010 Census, and at 4.07 million at the 2020 Census. The official estimate as at mid 2022 was 4,182,080. One of the five Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan, it is bordered by the Makassar Strait in the east, Central Kalimantan in the west and north, the Java Sea in the south, and East Kalimantan in the north. The province also includes the island of Pulau Laut, located off the eastern coast of Kalimantan. The province is divided into 11 regencies and 2 cities. South Kalimantan is the traditional homeland of the Banjar people, although some parts of East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan are also included in this criterion. Nevertheless, South Kalimantan, especially the former capital city Banjarmasin has always been the cultural capital of Banjarese culture. Many Banjarese have migrated to other parts of Indonesia, as well as neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. In addition, other ethnic groups also inhabit the province, such as several groups of the Dayaks, who mostly live in the interior part of the province, as well as the Javanese, who mostly migrated from Java due to the Transmigration program which dated from the Dutch colonial era.It is one of the provinces in Indonesia that has a larger population than Mongolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanese people</span> Largest ethnic group in Indonesia and Southeast Asia

The Javanese are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the central and eastern part of the Indonesian island of Java. With more than 100 million people, Javanese people are the largest ethnic group in both Indonesia and in Southeast Asia as a whole. Their native language is Javanese, it is the largest of the Austronesian languages in number of native speakers and also the largest regional language in Southeast Asia. The Javanese as the largest ethnic group in the region have dominated the historical, social, and political landscape in the past as well as in modern Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malay Singaporeans</span> Ethnic group of Singapore

Malay Singaporeans are Singaporeans of Malay ancestry, including those from the Malay Archipelago. They constitute approximately 13.5% of the country's citizens, making them the second largest ethnic group in Singapore. Under the Constitution of Singapore, they are recognised by the government as the indigenous people of the country, with Malay as the national language of Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banjar people</span> Ethnic group native to South Kalimantan

The Banjar or Banjarese are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Banjar regions in the southeastern Kalimantan regions of Indonesia. Nowadays, Banjarese diaspora can be found in neighbouring Banjar regions as well; including Kotabaru Regency, the southeastern regions of Central Kalimantan, southernmost regions of East Kalimantan, and some provinces of Indonesia in general. The Banjarese diaspora community also can be found in neighbouring countries of Indonesia, such as Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Indonesia</span> Geopolitical concept

Greater Indonesia was an irredentist political concept that sought to bring the so-called Malay race together, by uniting the territories of the Dutch East Indies with British Malaya and British Borneo. It was espoused by students and graduates of Sultan Idris Training College for Malay Teachers in the late 1920s, and individuals from Sumatra and Java, including Mohammad Natsir and Sukarno, on September 28, 1950. Indonesia Raya was adopted as the name of what later became the Indonesian national anthem in 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic groups in Indonesia</span> Overview of ethnic groups in Indonesia

There are 1,340 recognised ethnic groups in Indonesia. The vast majority of those belong to the Austronesian peoples, with a sizeable minority being Melanesians. Indonesia has the world's largest number of Austronesians and Melanesians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Malays</span> Ethnic group in Malaysia

Malaysian Malays are Malaysians of Malay ethnicity whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in the Malay world. According to the 2023 population estimate, with a total population of 17.6 million, Malaysian Malays form 57.9% of Malaysia's demographics, the largest ethnic group in the country. They can be broadly classified into two main categories; Anak Jati and Anak Dagang.

Immigration to Malaysia is the process by which people migrate to Malaysia to reside in the country. The majority of these individuals become Malaysian citizens. After 1957, domestic immigration law and policy went through major changes, most notably with the Immigration Act 1959/63. Malaysian immigration policies are still evolving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysia–Thailand relations</span> Bilateral relations

Malaysia–Thailand relations refers to bilateral foreign relations between the two neighbouring countries, Malaysia and Thailand. Thailand has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and consulate-general offices in George Town and Kota Bharu. Malaysia maintains an embassy in Bangkok. During Mahathir Mohamad's second term as the Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2018 to 2020, he made four visits to Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Indonesians</span> Indonesians living outside of Indonesia

Overseas Indonesians refers to Indonesians who live outside of Indonesia. These include citizens that have migrated to another country as well as people born abroad of Indonesian descent. According to the Indonesian Statistics Agency, more than 9 million Indonesians live abroad in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayness</span> Socio-political term

Malayness is the state of being Malay or of embodying Malay characteristics. This may include that which binds and distinguishes the Malay people and forms the basis of their unity and identity. People who call themselves Malay are found in many countries in Southeast Asia, united by a notional shared identity but divided by political boundaries, divergent histories, variant dialects and peculiarities of local experience. While the term 'Malay' is widely used and readily understood in the region, it remains open to varying interpretations due to its varied and fluid characteristics. 'Malay' as an identity, or nationality, is considered one of the most challenging and perplexing concepts in the multi-ethnic world of Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesia–Malaysia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Indonesia and Malaysia established diplomatic relations in 1957. It is one of the most important bilateral relationships in Southeast Asia.

Negeri Sembilan Malay is an Austronesian language spoken mainly in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, including Alor Gajah and parts of Jasin District in northern Malacca, and parts of Segamat District in the northernmost part of Johor. The language is spoken by the descendants of Minangkabau settlers from Sumatra, who have migrated to Negeri Sembilan since as early as the 14th century. It is often considered a variant or dialect of the Minangkabau language; lexical and phonological studies, however, indicate that it is more closely related to Standard Malay than it is to Minangkabau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanisation</span>

Javanisation or Javanization is the process in which Javanese culture dominates, assimilates, or influences other cultures in general. The term "Javanise" means "to make or to become Javanese in form, idiom, style, or character". This domination could take place in various aspects; such as cultural, language, politics and social.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanese Malaysians</span> People of Javanese descent in Malaysia

The Javanese Malaysians are people of full or partial Javanese descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia. They form a significant part of Malaysia's population and Malaysian law considers most of them to be Malays. Malaysia is home to the largest Javanese population outside Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysians of Indonesian descent</span> Malaysian citizen of Indonesian descent

The Indonesian Malaysians are Malaysian citizens of Indonesian ancestry. Today, there are many Malaysian Malays who have lineage from the Indonesian archipelago and have played an important role in the history and contributed to the development of Malaysia, they have been assimilated with other Malay communities and are grouped as part of the foreign Malays or anak dagang in terms of race. The Malaysian census does not categorize ethnic groups from the Indonesian archipelago as a separate ethnic group, but rather as Malay or Bumiputera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanese diaspora</span> People of Javanese ethnicity residing outside Indonesia

The Javanese diaspora is the demographic group of descendants of ethnic Javanese who emigrated from the Indonesian island of Java to other parts of the world. The Javanese diaspora includes a significant population in Suriname, with over 13% of the country's population being of Javanese ancestry. Other major enclaves are found in Australia, French Guiana, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, Singapore, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.

References

  1. Palash Ghosh (31 January 2013). "Uneasy Neighbors: The Plight of Illegal Indonesian Immigrants In Malaysia". International Business Times . Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lin Mei (August 2006). "Indonesian Labor Migrants in Malaysia: A Study from China" (PDF). Institute of China Studies. University of Malaya. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 Joseph Chinyong Liow (2005). The Politics of Indonesia–Malaysia Relations – Kinship and Indo-Malay historiography (Kinship and the pre-colonial regional system) (PDF). Routledge, Taylor & Francis. p. 30. ISBN   0-203-67248-8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  4. Jinn Winn Chong (2012). ""Mine, Yours or Ours?": The Indonesia-Malaysia Disputes over Shared Cultural Heritage". Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia. Academia.edu. 27 (1): 1–53. doi:10.1355/sj27-1a. ISSN   1793-2858. S2CID   145587756 . Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  5. Ah Eng Lai; Francis Leo Collins; Brenda S. A. Yeoh (2013). Migration and Diversity in Asian Contexts. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 225–. ISBN   978-981-4380-47-8.