_(20672742846).jpg) A Malay bride and bridegroom as seen in a wedding event in theCocos (Keeling) Islands, 1912. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 4,000–5,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Malaysia ( Sabah): ~5,000[1] Australia ( Cocos (Keeling) Islands): 400 | |
| Languages | |
| Cocos Malay,English andMalaysian | |
| Religion | |
| Majority:Sunni Islam[2] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bantenese,Betawi people,Javanese people,Malays |
Cocos Malays are a community that form the predominant group of theCocos (Keeling) Islands, which is now a part ofAustralia. Today, most of the Cocos Malay can be found in the eastern coast ofSabah,Malaysia, because of diaspora originating from the 1950s during the British colonial period.
Despite that they all have assimilated into theethnic Malay culture, they are named in reference to theMalay race, originating from different places of theMalay Archipelago such asBali,Bima,Celebes,Madura,Sumbawa,Timor,Sumatra,Pasir-Kutai,Malacca,Penang,Batavia andCirebon,[3] as well asSouth Africa andNew Guinea.[4]
The first Malays are believed to have arrived and settled in the Islands in 1826 "whenAlexander Hare, anEnglish merchant, brought his Malayharem andslaves there."[5] In 1827John Clunies-Ross changed the lives of the Malay slaves when he settled the Islands with his family. The existing Malays and a large number of newly arrived Malay immigrants that Clunies-Ross brought with him were employed to assist with theharvesting ofcoconuts forcopra.[5] People fromBritish Malaya and theDutch East Indies as well asSouth Africa andNew Guinea were brought in by Hare and by Clunies-Ross asindentured workers, slaves orconvicts.[4]
In September 1978, theAustralian government forced the Clunies-Ross family to sell the Cocos Islands to them. Since then, theChief of State has beenKing Charles III, represented by the currentAdministrator,Natasha Griggs. The Chairman of the Islands Council is Aindil Minkom.[citation needed]
The descendants of the people brought to the islands by Hare and Clunies Ross are as of 2019[update] seeking recognition from the Australian Federal Government to be acknowledged asIndigenous Australians.[4]
The Cocos Malays in Malaysia primarily reside in several villages known asKampung Cocos in the towns ofLahad Datu andTawau, both located inTawau Division ofSabah state.[6] Originally from the Cocos Islands, they settled on this area in the 1950s after being brought back by the British.[7] The number of those who participated in the first emigration is thought to be around twenty, but it increased when they expanded their settlement in Lahad Datu. Their culture is closely related to the Malay peoples in Malaysia[8] and their current population in Sabah is around 4,000, about eight times larger than the population remaining in the Cocos Islands.[1] They are accordedbumiputra status by theMalaysian government and also a part of theMalaysian Malays ethnic group found in the state ofSabah.
Most of the Cocos Malays follow theSunni branch ofIslam.[9]
The Cocos Malays have their own dress code —Baju Kebaya for the women andBaju Melayu for the men.Baju Kebaya consists of a loose tunic (which refers to a long collarless shirt with a short neckline that is pinned together with a brooch) and is worn over a skirt orsarong.Baju Melayu is a loose shirt (either with a collar with three or more buttons or collarless with a neckline). The Baju Kebaya and Baju Melayu of the Cocos are indistinct of the attire of typicalMalay. The dress of the community are believed to be a blend from several cultures: theJavanese, theScottish, and theEnglish.
Cocos Malays have theirown language variety, which is being calledBasa Pulu Kokos. It is considered rough and unsophisticated because of the use of slang in it and the constant change in word meanings. The language is predominantlyBetawi Malay,[citation needed] a Jakarta creole mix ofMalay andIndonesian (as well asJavanese,Sundanese in which the Betawi language derived from) with local pronunciation and elements ofEnglish andScots being mixed in.
Addressing elders:
