malay people transformed from the tribal group into an ethnic group during the glorious era of srivijaya—the empire that originated from palembang— when the trading activities grew. nowadays, malay people are inhabiting areas that was under the srivijayan empire rule, with the big population mainly in sumatra and its surrounding regions such as bangka belitung islands, riau islands, malacca peninsula ( kra peninsula), kalimantan (including brunei), southern thailand, southern vietnam, and southern philippines.