Who the Malay are
The Malay are the majority people of Malaysia and a large community in Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and southern Thailand. In Malaysia, the constitution defines a Malay as someone who professes Islam, so ethnic and religious identity are joined in law itself.
Malaysia has a thriving church among its Chinese, Indian and Borneo peoples, but Malay believers are very few, and leaving Islam is effectively impossible in Malaysian law. Sharing the Gospel with Muslims is restricted. The Malay Bible exists, and Malay speakers in Indonesia and elsewhere live under different conditions.
Signs of hope
The full Malay Bible, and a strong Malaysian church that speaks Malay as a national language.
The honest difficulty
Malay identity is defined as Muslim in law, and evangelism among Muslims is restricted.
What "Frontier" means
Fewer than 1 in 1,000 follow Jesus, and there is no indigenous movement large enough to grow on its own. Most people in this group will never meet a Christian.
This describes access to the Gospel, not the worth of a people or the sincerity of anyone's faith.
How to pray for the Malay
Take one of these for a week rather than all of them for a day.
- Pray for the Malay people, one of the largest unreached peoples in Southeast Asia.
- Pray for the Malaysian church to love Malay neighbours with wisdom.
- Pray for freedom of conscience for every Malaysian.
- Pray for secret Malay believers, for courage and fellowship.
Where the Malay live
Each nation profile carries church size, unreached peoples, what is going well, what is hard, and four prayer points.
Questions people ask about the Malay
Who are the Malay people?
The Malay (also called Melayu) are a people group of roughly 30 million, living mainly in Indonesia, Malaysia. They speak Malay and are predominantly Islam (Sunni). The majority people of Malaysia, for whom following Jesus is effectively forbidden in law. Population figures for people groups vary considerably by source and by how a group is defined.
Are the Malay an unreached people group?
The Malay are classified as frontier. Fewer than 1 in 1,000 follow Jesus, and there is no indigenous movement large enough to grow on its own. Most people in this group will never meet a Christian. Scripture status: Full Bible in Malay.
How can I pray for the Malay?
Pray for the Malay people, one of the largest unreached peoples in Southeast Asia. Pray for the Malaysian church to love Malay neighbours with wisdom. Take one of these for a week rather than all of them for a day.