'Chinese' is a bigger general term. It is a broad term. We can
say Tibetans are Chinese, Yunnan tribe people are Chinese. But
'Malay' is not a broad general term. The position is smaller and
more specific, just like Yunnan tribal people or Tibetans in the
example above.
Just like in India, there are Tamils, Sikhs, and dozens more ethnic
groups. We can call them all as Indians as a broad general term.
But if someone use Tamil in that sense of broad general term, then
it is wrong and silly, because Tamil is only 1 ethnic group in
India, and they are not even the majority.
In Indonesia, the biggest indigenous ethnic group is Javanese. They
are not Malays. The Malays are not the majority, in fact they are a
small minority.
If you go to Jakarta and pluck a native-looking man from the street
and ask him what his ethnicity is, his answer will be either 1.
Javanese, or 2. Sundanese, and a small chance of other ethnic
groups.
Malays in Indonesia are mainly in some regions of Sumatra and parts
of Kalimantan.
So......that is the confusion about the use of this term 'Malays'.
If people want to refer to native peoples in Indonesia in the broad
general sense, just say 'Indonesians' or 'Native Indonesians' or
something like that, but not 'Malays'.
Meat Pao.
