Malay Indonesians (Malay/Indonesian: Orang Melayu Indonesia; Jawi: اورڠ ملايو ايندونيسيا) are ethnic Malays living throughout Indonesia. They are one of the indigenous peoples of the country. Indonesian, the national language of Indonesia, is a standardized form of Riau Malay. There were numerous kingdoms associated with the Indonesian Malays along with other ethnicities in what is now Indonesia, mainly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. These included Srivijaya, the Melayu Kingdom, Dharmasraya, the Sultanate of Deli, the Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura, the Riau-Lingga Sultanate, the Sultanate of Bulungan, Pontianak Sultanate, and the Sultanate of Sambas. The 2010 census states that there are 8 million Malays in Indonesia; this number comes from the classification of Malays in East Sumatra and the coast of Kalimantan which is recognized by the Indonesian government. This classification is different from the Malaysia and Singapore census which includes all ethnic Muslims from the Indonesian archipelago (inc. Acehnese, Banjarese, Bugis, Mandailing, Minangkabau and Javanese) as Malays.

Malays (Malay: Orang Melayu, Jawi: أورڠ ملايو) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to eastern Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and coastal Borneo, as well as the smaller islands that lie between these locations. These locations are today part of the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia (eastern and southern Sumatra, Bangka Belitung Islands, West Kalimantan and Riau Islands), southern part of Thailand (Pattani, Satun, Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat), Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. There is considerable linguistic, cultural, artistic and social diversity among the many Malay subgroups, mainly due to hundreds of years of immigration and assimilation of various regional ethnicity and tribes within Maritime Southeast Asia. Historically, the Malay population is descended primarily from the earlier Malayic-speaking Austronesians and Austroasiatic tribes who founded several ancient maritime trading states and kingdoms, notably Brunei, Kedah, Langkasuka, Gangga Negara, Chi Tu, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pahang, Melayu and Srivijaya.

Malay, Malay Orang Melayu (“Malay People”), any member of an ethnic group of the Malay Peninsula and portions of adjacent islands of Southeast Asia, including the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and smaller islands that lie between these areas. The Malays speak various dialects belonging to the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) family of languages. The Malays were once probably a people of coastal Borneo who expanded into Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula as a result of their trading and seafaring way of life. That this expansion occurred only in the last 1,500 years or so is indicated by the fact that the languages of the Malay group are all still very much alike though very divergent from the languages of other peoples of Sumatra, Borneo, and other neighbouring lands. In the early 21st century the Malays constituted about half of the population of Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and about one-eighth of the population of East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah).

The culture of Malaysia draws on the varied cultures of the different people of Malaysia. The first people to live in the area were indigenous tribes that still remain; they were followed by the Malays, who moved there from mainland Asia in ancient times. Chinese and Indian cultural influences made their mark when trade began with those countries, and increased with immigration to Malaysia. Other cultures that heavily influenced that of Malaysia include Persian, Arabic and British. The many different ethnicities that currently exist in Malaysia have their own unique and distinctive cultural identities, with some crossover. Arts and music have a long tradition in Malaysia, with Malay art dating back to the Malay sultanates. Traditional art was centred on fields such as carving, silversmithing, and weaving. Islamic taboos restricted artwork depicting humans until the mid-20th century. Performing arts and shadow puppet shows are popular, and often show Indian influences. Various influences can be seen in architecture, from individual cultures in Malaysia and from other countries. Large modern structures have been built, including the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers. Malaysian music has a variety of origins, and is largely based around percussion instruments. Much early Malaysian literature was based on Indian epics, which remained unchanged even as Malays converted to Islam; this has expanded in recent decades. English literature remained restricted to the higher class until the arrival of the printing press. Locally created Chinese and Indian literature appeared in the 19th century.

An ethnic group of Malay origin, the Bajau people have lived almost exclusively on the water for centuries. While other "sea nomad" groups have existed in history, the Bajau may be the last seafaring people still in existence today. They reside in Southeast Asia, in the waters southwest of the Philippines. A migratory people, they drift from place to place and remain unattached in any official sense to any of the neighboring countries. Without an official state record or even much of a written history to call their own, the story of the Bajau people is rooted in their own unique folklore and traditions, with oral history passed down from generation to generation.

The Malayans are an Indian tribal community mostly found in Edamalayar of Kuttampuzha panchayat in Idukki district, Kerala. Classified as Scheduled Tribe in the state, the Malayans are adapted to occupations such as bamboo cutting, fishing, manual labour, and forest produce collection. They also lease their farmlands for nominal sums to land lords, and do manual labour in their own lands. Malayans are also found in forest areas from Thundathil to Parambikulam in forest ranges of Thrissur and Ernakulam districts. Malayalam-speaking Malayans exist as two subgroups—Nattumalayans and Kongamalayans. "Malayan" means "man on the hills" or "man who makes a livelihood by the hills". Today, these Malayan tribes have taken active participation in all educational as well as cultural fests.

One possible origin for the term "Malay" (melayu) may be a Dravidian (south Indian) expression mala ur, "hill people." It is ironic, therefore, that it should come to refer to a maritime people with a sophisticated urban Islamic tradition (highlanders throughout the archipelago are considered most tenacious in their paganism). Of course, popular usage in English extends Malay's scope to include all the indigenous inhabitants of Indonesia (other Papuans), Malaysia, and the Philippines, who share, at the very least, Austronesian languages and Southern Mongoloid physical features.

Thai Malays (Malay: Orang Melayu Thai, Thai: ไทยเชื้อสายมลายู: Jawi: ملايو تاي; Pattani Malay: Oré Nayu, Jawi or Bangso Yawi; Songkhla Malay: Oghae Nayu), with officially recognised terms including 'Malayu-descended Thais' and 'Malay',[4][5] is a term used to refer to ethnic Malay citizens of Thailand, the sixth largest ethnic group in Thailand. Thailand is home to the third largest ethnic Malay population after Malaysia and Indonesia and most Malays are concentrated in the Southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Songkhla, and Satun. Phuket and Ranong, home to a sizeable Muslim population, also have many people who are of Malay descent. A sizeable community also exists in Thailand's capital Bangkok, having descended from migrants or deportees who were relocated from the South from the 13th century onwards.

The term multicultural is an understatement when describing Malaysia and Malaysians. From ethnic Malays, Chinese and Indians to Sabah’s and Sarawak’s indigenous tribes and former headhunters, the nation boasts an unparalleled mixture of ethnicity and culture. Several groups identify as one of the 28 million Malaysians. Malays form approximately 50% of the population followed by Chinese (23%), Indian (7%) and a variety of indigenous groups. Once a series of smaller isolated communities, the Malays have inhabited the region for centuries. British colonialism transformed the country into an economic powerhouse and encouraged an influx of Chinese and Indian workers. Today, Sunni Islam, Buddhism, various denominations of Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism and even the remnants of Animism and Paganism are religions in Malayasia.

Malay tradition refers to the Malay people’s customs, beliefs, and culture of the largest ethnic group in Malaysia and the Malay Peninsula. This culture has been influenced by neighboring countries, including the Indians, Filipinos, Indonesians, Chinese, and Islamic worlds, resulting in a diverse and rich cultural heritage. Throughout history, the Malay peninsula has been ruled by various sultanates and has played a vital role in Southeast Asian trade, attracting traders and settlers worldwide. This has significantly impacted the development of the Malay culture, which is evident in the diverse customs, traditions, and languages still practiced today.