What is the origin and history of the ethnic Malays and the Malay nation? The Malays are one of the most interesting people groups of the Far East, who have interacted with many different historical empires throughout their reign as the arbiters of trans-oceanic trade for thousands of years. Throughout this time, the Malays have influenced and been influenced by many different groups.  Today we will discuss some of the history of the Malays ad how they evolved from the Melayu kingdom into the modern nation of Malaysia we see today, which arguably is still as important as ever in terms of regional and global markets.