Marine Corps Intelligence Activity Cultural Intelligence for Military Operations

    14 pages
    For Official Use Only
    January 2006

Malaysia’s population consists of 58 percent ethnic Malays, 24 percent ethnic Chinese, 8 percent ethnic Indian, and 10 percent other groups.

The three main ethnic groups (i.e., Malays, Chinese, and Indians) can be differentiated by their appearance, language, religion, and customs, though there is significant variation within each ethnic group.

Malays are predominantly Muslim, and as a result, the country is strongly influenced by Islam. Most Malaysian Muslims are moderate in their views. They do not want Malaysia to become an Islamic state, and regard Islam primarily as a religion, not a lifestyle. Some of Malaysia’s smaller religious and ethnic groups are concerned about what they perceive as the increasingly Islamic nature of Malaysian society. ...