Malay & Islam

Defination of Malay (as mention in wikipedia)

As defined by the constitution of Malaysia, Malays must be Muslim, regardless of their ethnic heritage; otherwise, legally, they are not Malay. Consequently, apostate Malays would have to forfeit all their constitutional privileges, including their Bumiputra status, which entitles them to affirmative action policies in university admissions, discounts on purchases of vehicles or real estate, etc. It is legally possible to become a Malay if a non-Malay citizen with a Malaysian parent converts to Islam and thus claim all the Bumiputra privileges granted by Article 153 of the Constitution and the New Economic Policy (NEP), etc.

However, the convert must "habitually speak the Malay language" and adhere to Malay culture. A textbook for tertiary Malaysian studies following the government-approved syllabus states: "This explains the fact that when a non-Malay embraces Islam, he is said to masuk Melayu (become a Malay). That person is automatically assumed to be fluent in the Malay language and to be living like a Malay as a result of his close association with the Malays."

Islam in Malaysia is thus closely associated with the Malay people, something an Islamic scholar has criticised, saying that Malaysian Islam is "still clothed in communal garb; that Muslims in Malaysia have yet to understand what the universal spirit of Islam means in reality.

Islam in Malaysia (as mention in wikipedia)

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, and the Government actively promotes the spread of Islam in the country and its friendship with other Muslim countries. The Census in 2000 show approximately 60.4 percent of the total population are Muslims in Malaysia. All ethnic Malays are Muslim (100%) as defined by Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia, there are also substantial numbers of Indian Muslims and a few numbers of ethnic Chinese converts.[citation needed] As required by Malaysian law and defined in the Constitution of Malaysia, a Malay would surrender his ethnic status if he were not Muslim. However the reverse is not legally true; one does not legally become a Bumiputra by converting to Islam.

A number of young Muslims, especially those from a more secular or westernized background are less-than-practicing Muslims. They observe the practice of a holy month (Ramadan), when fasting during daylight hours is mandatory, and abstain from pork, yet may not pray five times a day nor visit mosques frequently. At the same time, increasing numbers of Malays are becoming more religious, with Islamic banking and use of the tudung (headscarf) in accordance with the laws of hijab (modesty) becoming increasingly common.