Malay Singaporeans (Malay: Orang Melayu Singapura) are Singaporeans of Malay ancestry, including those from the Malay Archipelago. As of the 2020 census, they constitute approximately 13.5% of the country's residents, making them the second largest ethnic group in Singapore. Under the Constitution of Singapore, they are recognised by the government as the indigenous people of the country, with Malay as the national and official language of Singapore.
At the time of the arrival of British colonial official Stamford Raffles in 1819, the estimated population of Malays on the island was approximately 1,000. Another estimate suggests that at the time of Raffles' arrival, the population comprised around 120 Malays, 30 Chinese and some local indigenous Orang Laut tribes. From the nineteenth century until World War II, the Malays generally enjoyed favourable treatment, as they were not resettled for labour and their traditional lifestyles were largely left undisturbed. However, as the British required coolies to support their colonial enterprises, immigration rates among Malays remained relatively low compared to Indians and Chinese immigrants. The latter group notably became the majority ethnic population by the mid-nineteenth century.
