Demographics of Malaysia
The demographics of Malaysia are represented by the multiple ethnic groups that exist in the country. Malaysia's population, according to the 2010 census, is 28,334,000 including non-citizens, which makes it the 42nd most populated country in the world. Of these, 5.72 million live in East Malaysia and 22.5 million live in Peninsular Malaysia. The population distribution is uneven, with some 79% of its citizens concentrated in Peninsular Malaysia, which has an area of , constituting under 40% of the total area of Malaysia.
Cocos Malays
The Cocos Malays in Malaysia primarily reside in several villages known as "Kampung Cocos" near Lahad Datu and Tawau in Tawau Division of Sabah. Originally from the Cocos Islands, they settled on this area in the 1950s after been brought by the British. 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 and their current population in Sabah is around 4,000, about eight times larger than the population remaining in the Cocos Islands. They are accorded bumiputra status by the Malaysian government and also a part of the Malaysian Malays ethnic group found in the state of Sabah.