Malaysia... Tanah Melayu
Transcript:
I read that some Chinese dispute that the name Malaysia is in reference to the Malays.
They claim it has nothing to do with Tanah Melayu.
But Malaysia literally means Land of the Malays. Tanah Melayu.
The Greek suffix ia means “land of.”
Just like Russia is the land of the Rus.
Arabia is the land of the Arabs.
So why is Malaysia named after the Malays?
What about the other indigenous groups?
Is this something unique?
It is not.
The name signifies the indigenous community that held sovereignty over this land.
Take Russia.
Land of the Rus.
The Rus were a Nordic people.
But Russia is home to many indigenous groups: Tatars, Bashkirs, Chechens, Yakuts, and more.
The Rus are the dominant group, so the land bears their name.
The others remain indigenous. No one says they are any less native.
Or look at Japan.
The Japanese are the dominant group.
But Japan is also home to the Ainu, the Obeikei, the Ryukyuans.
All indigenous.
But the nation is called Nihon — the land of the Yamato Japanese people.
Malaysia is no different.
The Malays are the dominant cultural and political group.
They gave the land its name: Tanah Melayu. The Malay land.
But that does not mean the Iban, Kadazan, Melanau, Sakai, Jakun, and others are not indigenous.
They are.
No one loses their status just because the land carries the name of the indigenous majority that has held sovereignty for hundreds of years.
And we should always remember to recognise and honour all these indigenous groups that make up this land.
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