Misplaced Pages

This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (September 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Arab Malaysians (Malay: Orang Arab Malaysia; Arabic: ماليزيون عرب; Jawi: اورڠ عرب مليسيا) consists of people of full or partial Arab descent (specifically Hadhrami, other Southern Arabian and Gulf Arab descent) who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia.

Arab traders had been visiting Southeast Asia since pre-Islamic times, as Southeast Asia was well connected via the sea route to the markets of Arabia, Persia and China. These Arab traders came from all over the Arabian Peninsula, today comprising the nations of Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and other GCC nations. The earliest Arab traders followed Orthodox Christianity, Arabian traditional religion and other religions that had existed in Arabia before the advent of Islam. Islam was later introduced by Arab traders in Malaysia in the 7th and 8th centuries. Arab interest in Southeast Asia soared during the Islamic era, during which more Arab traders arrived to spread Islam. Many Arab migrants were incorporated into the royalty and assimilated into the local Malay culture rather than retaining their Arab identity.

The federal territory of Kuala Lumpur and the states of Penang, Perlis, and Johor contain a high population of people with mixed Malay and Arab ancestry. Like the Arab diaspora residing in nearby countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines, Arab Malaysians are assimilated into Malay culture and more-often do not consider themselves "Arab". This was a historical trend of Arab traders in Southeast Asia who quickly assimilated into the native Austronesian culture.

See also

• Arab diaspora
• Arab Indonesians
• Arab Singaporean
• Arab Filipinos
• Hadhrami people
• Islam in Malaysia

Further reading

• Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk; Hassan Ahmed Ibrahim (2009). The Hadhrami Diaspora in Southeast Asia: Identity Maintenance Or Assimilation?. BRILL. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-90-04-17231-9.
• Eric Tagliacozzo (1 January 2009). Southeast Asia and the Middle East: Islam, Movement, and the Longue Durée. NUS Press. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-9971-69-424-1.
• Hussein Alatas (Syed) (January 1977). The Myth of the Lazy Native: A Study of the Image of the Malays, Filipinos and Javanese from the 16th to the 20th Century and Its Function in the Ideology of Colonial Capitalism. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-7146-3050-2.
• Nawar Shora (2009). The Arab-American Handbook: A Guide to the Arab, Arab-American & Muslim Worlds. Cune Press. pp. 302–. ISBN 978-1-885942-47-0.
• Keat Gin Ooi (1 January 2004). Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. ABC-CLIO. pp. 170–. ISBN 978-1-57607-770-2.

v t e Arab diaspora
Africa	Ghana Ivory Coast Kenya Senegal Sierra Leone
Asia	Afghanistan Afghan Arabs India Indonesia Iran Khorasan Khuzestan Japan Malaysia Pakistan Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Turkey Caucasus
Europe	North Denmark Finland Sweden United Kingdom Southeast Bulgaria Dobruja Romania Serbia South Greece Italy Malta Spain West Austria Belgium France Beur Paris Germany Berlin Netherlands Switzerland
North America	Canada Cuba El Salvador Haiti Honduras Mexico United States Detroit
Oceania	Australia New Zealand
South America	Argentina Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador El Salvador Paraguay Uruguay Venezuela

• Ethnic groups in Malaysia
• Arab diaspora in Asia
• Immigration to Malaysia
• Malaysian people of Arab descent