View source for Malaysian Indians

{{Short description|Malaysians of Indian ancestry}}
{{About|[[Malaysians|Malaysian]] [[Demographics of Malaysia|residents]] of Indian descent or ethnicity|people with [[Malaysian nationality law|Malaysian nationality]] residing in India|Malaysians in India}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Weasel|date=April 2026}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=April 2026}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Malaysian Indians
| native_name      = {{lang|ms|Orang India Malaysia}}
| image            = [[File:Indian Classical Dance.jpg|300px]]
| caption          = 
| population  = '''2,019,600'''<ref name="2023 population" /><br />'''6.6%''' of the Malaysian population (2020)<ref name="2023 population" />
| popplace         = '''[[Peninsular Malaysia#East Coast and West Coast|West coast]] of [[Peninsular Malaysia]]'''
(mostly in [[Selangor]], [[Negeri Sembilan]], [[Perak]], [[Penang]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Kedah]] and [[Johor]])<br/>'''[[Singapore]]''' (20,483 in 2010)<ref name="singstat.gov.sg">{{cite web|url=https://www.singstat.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/publications/publications_and_papers/cop2010/census_2010_advance_census_release/c2010acr.pdf|title=Census of Population 2010|work=Singapore Department of Statistics|access-date=4 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016193638/https://www.singstat.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/publications/publications_and_papers/cop2010/census_2010_advance_census_release/c2010acr.pdf|archive-date=16 October 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| langs            = [[Malaysian Tamil]]/[[Tamil language|Tamil]] (majority) • [[English language|English]] • [[Malay language|Malay]] • [[Malay Chetty creole language|Melayu Chetty]] • Other [[Languages of India|Indian languages]] such as [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam]] and [[Languages of South Asia|others]]
| rels             = '''Predominantly'''<br/>[[Hinduism]]<br/>'''Minorities'''<br/>[[Christianity]]{{·}}[[Islam]]{{·}}[[Buddhism]]{{·}}[[Sikhism]]{{·}}[[Jainism]]{{·}}[[Zoroastrianism]]{{·}}[[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]]
| related          = [[Tamil people|Indian Tamils]], [[Sri Lankan Tamils]], [[Telugus]], [[Malayalis]], [[Chindians]], [[Chitty]], [[Burmese Tamils]], [[Dravidians]], [[Indian Singaporeans]], [[Indo-Mauritians]], [[Indo-Fijians]], [[Indians in South Africa]], [[Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa]], [[Indo-Caribbeans]]
}}

'''Malaysian Indians''' or '''Indo-Malaysians''' are [[Malaysians|Malaysian citizens]] of [[India]]n ancestry. Most are descendants of those who migrated from India to [[British Malaya]] from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2021/18/special-articles/servitude-underclass.html |journal= Economic and Political Weekly |title=From Servitude to Underclass: The Empire's South Indian 'Coolies' in Postcolonial Malaysia|author= Viswanathan Selvaratnam |volume= 56|issue= 18|date=1 May 2021 |quote=The ancestral root of about 80% of Malaysian Indians is in the British Empire’s Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala).}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OTDzzWjmEAwC&pg=PA4 |title=A History of Malaysia |first1= Barbara |last1=Watson Andaya|first2= Leonard Y. |last2=Andaya |date=2001 |pages=4, 181&ndash;185 |isbn=9780824824259 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press }}</ref>  Most Malaysian Indians are ethnic [[Tamil Malaysians|Tamils]]; smaller groups include the [[Malaysian Malayali|Malayalees]], [[Malaysian Telugu|Telugus]] and [[Punjabi Malaysians|Punjabis]]. Malaysian Indians form the fifth-largest community of [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Overseas Indians]] in the world.<ref name="themalaymailonline.com">{{cite news |date=24 Nov 2023 |title=Indian Diaspora |newspaper=Ministry of External Affairs |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/images/attach/NRIs-and-PIOs_1.pdf |access-date=24 Nov 2023}}</ref> In Malaysia, they represent the third-largest group, constituting 7% of the Malaysian population, after the [[Bumiputera (Malaysia)|Bumiputera]] (combined grouping of ethnic  [[Malaysian Malays|Malays]] and [[Orang Asal|other indigenous groups]]) and the [[Malaysian Chinese|Chinese]].<ref name="2023 population">{{cite web |url=https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=155&bul_id=OVByWjg5YkQ3MWFZRTN5bDJiaEVhZz09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09.html |title=Current population and estimates, Malaysia 2020 Group |author=Department of Statistics Malaysia |access-date=15 July 2020 |year=2020 |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628182103/https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=155&bul_id=OVByWjg5YkQ3MWFZRTN5bDJiaEVhZz09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> They are usually referred to simply as "Indians" in English, ''Orang India'' in Malay, and ''Yinduren'' in Chinese.

Malaysia's Indian population is notable for its class stratification, with a significant elite and a large low income group within its fold.<ref name="malaymail2015" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://diplomacybeyond.com/visiting-indian-diaspora-malaysia/ | title=Visiting Indian Diaspora in Malaysia &#124; Diplomacy & Beyond Plus }}</ref> Malaysian Indians large percentage of professionals per capita by constituting 15.5% of Malaysia's professionals in 1999 has been reduced with substantial population close to 40% is now considered the B40 category.<ref name="Haque">{{cite journal|title=The Role of the State in Managing Ethnic Tensions in Malaysia|journal=American Behavioral Scientist|volume=47|number=3|date=November 2003|pages=240–266|url=http://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/polhaque/abs.pdf|author=M. Shamsul Haque|doi=10.1177/0002764203256186|s2cid=53021386|archive-date=9 January 2021|access-date=10 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109052750/https://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/polhaque/abs.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="malaymail2015" /> In the 1984 census, up to 38% of the nation's medical professional workforce consisted of Malaysian Indians, but this has been since been reduced.<ref name="Haque" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Pusat Komas |first=Pusat Komas |date=24 Nov 2023 |title=Malaysia Racial Discrimination Report 2021 |url=https://komas.org/download/Malaysia-Racial-Discrimination-Report-2021.pdf |access-date=23 Nov 2023 |website=komas.org}}</ref> In 1970, the per-capita income of Malaysian Indians was 76% higher than that of the Malay majority.<ref name="Malaysiaincome">{{cite journal|last1=Saari|first1= M Yusof|last2=Dietzenbacher|first2=Erik|last3=Los|first3=Bart|title=Sources of Income Growth and Inequality Across Ethnic Groups in Malaysia, 1970–2000|url=http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/800401478218903632/Sources-of-Income-Growth-and-Inequality-Across-Ethnic-Groups.pdf|journal=World Development|year= 2015|volume=76|pages=311–328|doi=10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.07.015|access-date=29 January 2018|doi-access=free}}</ref> Despite attempts by the Malaysian government to redistribute wealth since the 1970s through institutionalized racial policy,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" /> by 2005 Malaysian Indians still earned a 27% higher per capita income than that of the dominant Malay community.<ref name="Malaysiaincome" />

==History==

===First Wave: Pre-colonial period===
{{main|Greater India}}
[[File:Candi Batu Pahat of Bujang Valley.jpg|left|upright|thumb|Candi Bukit Batu Pahat in [[Bujang Valley]]. A Hindu-Buddhist kingdom ruled ancient [[Kedah]] possibly as early as 110 A.D, this might be the evidence of Hindu-Buddhist influence before the onset of Islam in Kedah's [[Kedahan Malay]]s.]]
[[Indian History|Ancient India]] exerted a profound influence over Southeast Asia through trade, religious missions, wars and other forms of contact. Pre-colonial Malaysia was part of the Malay Kingdoms with Hindu-Buddhist influence such as [[Srivijaya]], and the [[Majapahit]], which formed part of a cultural region known as India. There is a possibility that the first wave of migration from India towards Southeast Asia happened during Asoka's invasion towards Kalinga and [[Samudragupta]]'s expedition towards the South.<ref>{{cite book|first=Balaji|last=Sadasivan|title=The Dancing Girl: A History of Early India|year=2011|pages=135–136|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |isbn=978-9814311670}}</ref>

The Arab and Indian traders had travelled this region including the southern tip of South East Asia the peninsula with maritime trade,<ref name=Sneddon2003>{{cite book | last = Sneddon| first = James|title = The Indonesian Language: Its history and role in modern society| year = 2003| publisher = University of South Wales Press Ltd| location = Sydney| page = 73}}</ref> the [[Sailendra]] kings of [[Java]] were able to take control of the [[Peninsular Malaysia|Peninsular]] and part of southern [[Siam]]. The kings welcomed Buddhist missionaries from India, accepting their teaching of the [[Mahayana]] sect, which spread through their territories. However, central and northeastern Thailand continued to adhere to the Hinayana teachings of the Theravada sect, which had been introduced by missionaries sent by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC.
Another theory of the introduction of Buddhism after Indian arrived in the peninsula is that after Kalinga conquered lower [[Burma]] in the 8th century their influence gradually spread down the peninsula. The ancient Indian Kalinga was located in southeastern India occupying modern day Orissa and northern Andhra Pradesh. In the 7th century an Indonesian kingdom was named Kalingga<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=hgtVFGCJkj0C&pg=PT20 Sejarah SMA/MA Kls XI-Bahasa By H Purwanta, dkk]</ref> after the aforementioned Kalinga in India. Chinese sources mention this kingdom (''Holing'') as a center for Buddhist scholars around 604 before it was overshadowed by the Sanjaya or [[Mataram kingdom]]. The most famous Kalingga ruler is Ratu Sima.

There is evidence of the existence of [[Indianised kingdom]]s such as [[Gangga Negara]], Old [[Kedah]], [[Srivijaya]] since approximately 1700 years ago.<ref name="Volume 7 2009">European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 7, Number 3 (2009)</ref> Early contact between the kingdoms of [[Ancient Tamil country|Tamilakkam]] and the Malay peninsula had been very close during the reigns of the [[Pallava dynasty]] (from the 4th to the 9th century CE) and [[Chola dynasty]] (from the 9th to the 13th century CE). The trade relations the Tamil merchants had with the ports of [[Malay Peninsula|Malaya]] led to the emergence of Indianised kingdoms like Kadaram ([[Bujang Valley|Old Kedah]]) and [[Langkasuka|Langkasugam]].<ref name=International2000>{{cite book|last = International Tamil Language Foundation|title = The Handbook of Tamil Culture and Heritage| year = 2000| publisher = International Tamil Language Foundation| location = Chicago| page = 877}}</ref> Furthermore, Chola king [[Rajendra Chola I]] sent an expedition to Kadaram ([[Srivijaya]]) during the 11th century conquering that country on behalf of one of its rulers who sought his protection and to have established him on the throne. The Cholas had a powerful [[Merchant Navy|merchant]] and [[naval fleet]] in the Indian Ocean and the [[Bay of Bengal]]. Three kinds of craft are distinguished by the author of the ''Periplus'' – light coasting boats for local traffic, larger vessels of a more complicated structure and greater carrying capacity, and lastly the big ocean-going vessels that made the voyages to Malaya, [[Sumatra]], and the [[Ganges]].<ref name=Sastri2000>{{cite book | last = Sastri| first = K.A. Nilakanta|title = Cholas| orig-year = 1935 | edition = fifth printing | year = 2000| publisher = University of Madras| location = Chennai| pages = 86 & 318}}</ref> In [[Malacca Sultanate]], the [[Chitty]] people, played a huge role in Malacca's administration of the local ports such as [[Raja Mudaliar]], Syahbandar (Chief of Port) of Malacca and [[Bendahara]] [[Tun Mutahir of Malacca|Tun Mutahir]], a famous [[Bendahara]] of the [[Sultanate of Malacca|Malaccan Sultanate]].

===Second Wave: Colonial period===
[[File:SS Rajula.jpg|thumb|''SS Rajula'', operating her fortnightly "Straits Service" between [[Madras]] to Penang, [[Port Klang]] and Singapore from 1926 to 1972. The vessel transported many Indian migrants between South India to then-[[British Malaya]] as well as independent Malaysia.]]
Following the Portuguese colonisation of [[Sultanate of Malacca|Malacca]] ([[Malaysia]]) in 1511, the Portuguese government encouraged their explorers to bring their married Indian women who were converted already to Roman Catholic Christianity, under a policy set by [[Afonso de Albuquerque]], then [[Viceroy]] of [[Portuguese India|India]]. These people were [[Goan Catholics]] ([[Konkani people|Konkani]] Catholics) and [[Bombay East Indians]] (Catholics of [[Marathi people|Marathi descent]]). [[Kupari]]s who were of mixed Samvedic Brahmin, Goan and Portuguese descent also arrived. Their children already intermarried with Malay population, losing their ethnic identities. British acquisition of [[Penang]], [[Melaka]], and [[Singapore]] - the Straits Settlements from 1786 to 1824 started a steady inflow of Indian labour. This consisted of traders, policemen, plantation labourers and colonial soldiers (see [[sepoy]]s). Apart from this there was also substantial migration of Indians to work in the British colonial government, due to their general good command of the English language.<ref name="Volume 7 2009"/>

[[File:The Indian Stick Display at Balik Pulau, Penang in 1937.jpg|thumb|left|[[Thaipusam]] Celebration in [[Balik Pulau]], [[Penang]]. 1937]]
The establishment of the plantations and the need for mass labour led to an influx of Indian migrants working under the indenture [[Kangani system]] in the 19th and early 20th century. Some, after the Kangani system ended in the early 20th century, also paid for their own passage to Malaya. These migrant workers were primarily Tamils (around 80%), with some [[Telugus]], [[Malayali]]s as well as Bengalis from eastern India and Punjabis from western India. The Tamil migrants were primarily from Tamil Nadu.<ref name="rajoo">{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=-AR-V3ymAzoC&pg=PA150|title= Malaysian World-view|editor= Mohd. Taib Osman |author=R. Rajoo |pages= 149&ndash;150 |publisher=Inst of Southeast Asian Studies |date=1985|isbn= 978-9971988128}}</ref> These workers were distinct from the commercial and educated group of urban Indians, who were often Tamils, Telugus, Malayali, [[Punjabis]], and [[Bengalis]]. The [[Gujaratis]], [[Sindhis]] and [[Marwaris]] arrived as "passenger Indians" much like in other British colonies. These urban Indians may be Hindus, Christians, Sikhs or Muslims. The [[Sikhs]] mainly worked in the police force, while other northern Indians were involved in business. The [[Malaysian Malayali|Malayalees]], Ceylonese and Christian Tamils may be involved in government and private [[White-collar worker|white-collar work]], the [[Chettiar]] in money-lending or finance, while the [[Vellalar]] and [[Muslim Tamils]] may be in various kind of businesses.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=-AR-V3ymAzoC&pg=PA151|title= Malaysian World-view|editor= Mohd. Taib Osman |author=R. Rajoo |pages= 150&ndash;151 |publisher=Inst of Southeast Asian Studies |date=1985|isbn= 978-9971988128}}</ref>

The Indian population in [[British Malaya|pre-independence Malaya]] and Singapore was predominantly adult males who were single or with family back in [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]]. Hence the population fluctuated frequently with periods of immigration to Malaya and periods of exodus of people back to India. As early as 1901 the Indian population in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States was approximately 120,000. By 1931 there were 640,000 Indians in Malaya and Singapore and they even outnumbered the native [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malays]] in the state of [[Selangor]] that year.

However, during [[World War II]] many Indian men and women left for [[Burma]] as part of the [[Indian National Army]] with thousands thought to have perished. As a result, the population of Indians in 1957 had only increased to 820,000. While immigration was a major factor for the increase in population until Independence, the population growth began falling after that as the white collar classes in the civil service and plantations left when British institutions and companies left the country. Since then, lower birth rates and emigration to countries like [[Singapore]], [[Australia]], [[UK]], etc. in search of better educational and economic opportunities meant that Indians continue to see their share of Malaysia's population decline just as is the case with the [[Chinese people|Chinese]]. Today, Malaysian Indians account for approximately 7 per cent of the total population of Malaysia (approx. 2 million) and 9 per cent in Singapore (450,000).

===Third Wave: Contemporary period===
From the 1990s to the present period, there has also been a much smaller wave of Indian nationals into Singapore and Malaysia to work in the construction and engineering industry, restaurants, the IT sector, teaching and finance with many taking up permanent residence in Singapore where they account for nearly a quarter of the Singapore population. The unskilled labour mainly work in Indian restaurants. There are also foreign spouses from the Indian Subcontinent who are married to local Indians.

==Demographics==
{{Main|Malaysian Indian in Penang|Tamil Malaysians|Malaysian Malayalees|Malaysian Telugus|Punjabi Malaysians|Malaysian Gujaratis|Chitty}}
[[File:Little India (Johor Bahru).jpg|thumb|Little India in [[Johor Bahru]], [[Johor]].]]
[[File:Little India (Melaka).jpg|thumb|Little India in [[Melaka City]], [[Melaka]].]]
[[File:Karutha Naicker Hall.jpg|thumb|Tangkak District Indian Association in [[Tangkak]], [[Johor]].]]

6.6% of the Malaysian population are Indians as of 2020.<ref name="2023 population" /> Between 1800 to 1920, 740k Indians migrated to Malaysia.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Madhavan |first=M. C. |date=1985 |title=Indian Emigrants: Numbers, Characteristics, and Economic Impact |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1973248 |journal=Population and Development Review |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=457–481 |doi=10.2307/1973248 |issn=0098-7921}}</ref> Between 1921 to 1945, 377k migrated to Malaysia, with the migration stream declining to 80k between 1946 to 1960.<ref name=":5" />

There is a close correspondence between the various ethnic and occupational divisions of the Malaysian community, and this is inevitably reflected in the Indian community's geographical distribution in Malaya. The South Indian Tamils were the majority throughout the country, on the rubber estates and railways, though a significant proportion found employment on the docks in [[Penang]] and [[Singapore]].
Selangor is the state with the most number of Indians in terms of absolute number whereas Negeri Sembilan is the state with the highest proportion of Malaysian Indians making up the population.<ref name="2015 population"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="3" | State
!colspan="4" |Population{{ref|1|A}}
|-
!colspan="2" style= "width:9em;"|2010<ref name="demo">{{cite web |url= http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf|title= 2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205104835/http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf |archive-date=5 February 2013 |publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia |pages=11, 62–81}}</ref>
!colspan="2" style="width:9em;"|2015<ref name="2015 population"/>{{ref|2|B}}
|-
!Total
!Proportion
!Total
!Proportion
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Johor]]
| 217,058
| 7.1%
| 230,700
| 7.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Kedah]]
|136,482
|7.3%
|143,200
|7.2%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Kelantan]]
|3,849
|0.3%
|4,800
|0.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Malacca]]
|49,037
|6.2%
|51,400
|6.2%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Negeri Sembilan]]
| 146,214
|15.2%
|154,000
|14.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Pahang]]
|63,065
|4.4%
|66,300
|4.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Perak]]
||281,688
|12.3%
|293,300
|12.2%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Penang]]
|153,472
|10.4%
|166,000
|10.6%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Perlis]]
|2,745
|1.2%
|3,100
|1.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Sabah]]
|7,453
|0.3%
|12,200
|0.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Sarawak]]
|7,411
|0.3%
|7,900
|0.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Selangor]]
|679,130
|13.5%
|712,000
|13.2%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Terengganu]]
|2,397
|0.2%
|3,000
|0.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Kuala Lumpur]]
|156,316
|10.3%
|163,000
|10.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Labuan]]
|641
|0.9%
|800
|0.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Putrajaya]]
|869
|1.5%
|900
|1.0%
|}

*<small>{{note|1|Note A}} Non-citizens are excluded in figures and percentage</small>
*<small>{{note|2|Note B}} Population estimates are rounded to the nearest hundred.</small>

== Education ==
There are significant differences between Malaysian Indians who are part of the Malaysian [[working class]] in plantations and urban middle class or upper middle class professionals.
Many Indians are workers in plantations and attend Tamil language schools. Tamil language [[Education in Malaysia|primary schools]] are funded by the [[Government of Malaysia|Federal Government]], but Tamil schools on private lands are not eligible for full government grant.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://grfdt.com/PublicationDetails.aspx?Type=Articles&TabId=7051 |title=A Short History of Tamil Schools in Malaya/ Malaysia |work=GRFDT |access-date=8 June 2021 |archive-date=12 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712060718/https://grfdt.com/PublicationDetails.aspx?Type=Articles&TabId=7051 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Although Tamil is used as the medium of instruction, Malay and English are taught as compulsory subjects. Tamil schools may range from single classroom where students of varying age and ability are taught by a single teacher, to large schools of a few hundreds students. In plantation estates the schools may be poorly staffed and equipped, and few of their students moved on to higher education. Those Indians who do well in schools are primarily from the urban middle classes.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Breaking the pattern |pages=19&ndash;21|magazine=Far Eastern Economic Review |first=Suhaini|last=Azman |date=7 June 1990}}</ref>

There are also significant challenges in higher education opportunity for Indians due to an education system that favors the Bumiputera Malays.<ref name=":0" /> Racial discrimination in government school have been reported, with Indian students suffering the most due to their ethnicity, color of the skin, or beliefs.<ref name=":0" />

==Economy and employment==
There are considerable differences socially and economically between different groups of Indians in Malaysia. They form a significant part of the professional classes in Malaysia; in a census taken in 1999, Malaysian Indians were 15.5% of Malaysia's professional workforce.<ref name="Haque" /> These include doctors (28.4%), lawyers (26.8%), dentists (21%), veterinary surgeons (28.5%), engineers (6.4%), accountants (5.8%), surveyors (3.0%) and architects (1.5%).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/11/23/unite-as-a-community/|title=Unite as a community|last=Rajah|first=M|date=23 Nov 2013|website=The Star}}</ref> However, many Indians are also ranked amongst the most disadvantaged. In 1970, around 39% of Indians in Malaysia were ranked among the poorest of the country.<ref name="Haque"/> Incidence of poverty (those in the lowest 40% of the national income distribution) in Malaysia was 27.3% Indians.{{sfn|Sandhu|2006|page=375}} Official figures suggest that the percentage of Indians living below the official poverty line has decreased from 39.2% in 1970 to 1.9% in 2002, but the figures have been criticised as inaccurate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ensuring Effective Targeting of Ethnic Minorities: The Case of Low Income Malaysian Indians |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2019/08/statement-professor-philip-alston-united-nations-special-rapporteur |work=Centre for Public Policy Studies}}</ref> It has been claimed around 40% of Indians are at the bottom rung of the income ladder in 2015.<ref name="malaymail2015"/>

[[File:KITLV - 79935 - Kleingrothe, C.J. - Medan - Sowing on a rubber plantation in Malaysia - circa 1910.tif|thumb|Workers in a plantation {{circa}} 1910]]
Many of the early South Indian immigrants such as the Tamils and Telugus worked in the agriculture sector, in particular as workers in plantations. In 1930, 60% of all Indians were in this sector, and by 1970, 45% of Indians were still involved in agriculture in Malaysia.{{sfn|Sandhu|2006|page=162}} [[Sri Lankan Tamil people|Sri Lanka Tamils]] mainly occupied the subordinate administrative and technical positions in estates, positions they still dominate to this day.{{sfn|Sandhu|2006|page=166}} Also in the estates are the Malayalis who hold assistant and managerial positions. Few of these estates however are Indian-owned.{{sfn|Sandhu|2006|page=167}} Indians are also prominent in the transport and communication sector, either as labourers or as administrative and technical staff.{{sfn|Sandhu|2006|pages=172–173}}

Many Indians are also involved in business and trade, the majority of the privately owned businesses belong to the [[Chettiar]]s.{{sfn|Sandhu|2006|page=173–175}} The Sikhs and other Punjabis were initially recruited by the British to serve in the police and armed forces, and while in modern times these areas are now dominated by Malays, the descendants of Sikhs and other Punjabi are now found in every sphere of the economy, in particular as professionals, and in the mercantile and money-lending business.{{sfn|Sandhu|2006|page=162}}

Institutionalized racism in economic policy by the government is a key economic challenge for Indians. Many state governments have a no-bin policy which indirectly implies that if a non-Malay applies for anything it will be rejected.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Why huge disparity in budget allocation for races, Lim asks Ismail |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/09/20/why-huge-disparity-in-budget-allocation-for-races-lim-asks-ismail/ |access-date=12 Dec 2023 |website=freemalaysiatoday.com}}</ref> According to the [[Ninth Malaysia Plan]] report of 2006, Malaysian Indians also controlled only 1.2 percent of the corporate wealth in Malaysia, down from the previous figure of 1.5 percent.<ref name=":4">{{cite web |author= Osman, Mohamed Nawab Mohamed |date=2007|title= Marginalisation and the Indian Community in Malaysia|work= RSIS Commentaries, (131/2007) |publisher=Nanyang Technological University |url=https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/bitstream/handle/10220/6011/rsisc131-07.pdf?sequence=1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060404214547/http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/english/Chapter16.pdf |archive-date=4 April 2006 |url=http://www.epu.jpm.my:80/rm9/english/Chapter16.pdf |title=Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010 |chapter=Chapter 16 - Achieving Growth with Distribution |access-date=23 March 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although the Malaysian Indians are estimated at 9% of the population, they own just 2% of the national wealth due to racially discriminatory policies of institutionalized discrimination, such as the NEP.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GOPIO Announces Pravasi Bharatiya Community Service Awards |url=https://nriol.com/content/articles/article95.asp |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=nriol.com}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian overseas Population - Indians in Malaysia. Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin |url=https://nriol.com/indiandiaspora/malaysia-indians.asp |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=nriol.com}}</ref>

==Politics==
[[File:Headquarters of MIC.JPG|thumb|Headquarters of MIC in [[Kuala Lumpur]].]]
The [[Malaysian Indian Congress]] (MIC) is the oldest and largest Indian political party in Malaysia. It is a senior member of the [[Barisan Nasional]] coalition. The [[All Malaysian Indian Progressive Front|Indian Progressive Front]] (IPF), another Indian-based party, is affiliated with Barisan Nasional but is not a formal member. The [[People's Progressive Party (Malaysia)|People's Progressive Party]] (PPP) is technically a multiracial party but its membership is overwhelmingly Indian. It is a member of the Barisan Nasional. The [[People's Justice Party (Malaysia)|People's Justice Party]] (PKR) and [[Democratic Action Party]] (DAP) have a large Indian membership and have many Indian lawmakers. Both parties are members of the ruling [[Pakatan Harapan]] coalition. The [[Socialist Party of Malaysia]] (PSM), a minor opposition party, has a strong Indian presence. The [[Hindu Rights Action Force]] (Hindraf) was formed in 2007 to address alleged racial discrimination against Indian Malaysians. It was banned after it staged a large anti-government rally in [[Kuala Lumpur]] in 2007. Hindraf's political wing is the [[Human Rights Party (Malaysia)|Human Rights Party]] (HRP). The [[Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress]] (KIMMA) is a party that represents the interests of the [[Indian Muslim]] community. There is the [[Punjabi Party of Malaysia]] (PPM) which represents Malaysia's Punjabi community. The [[Malaysian Ceylonese Congress]] (MCC) represents Malaysia's [[Sri Lankan Tamil]] community who are technically not Indian but often regarded as such by most Malaysians. Other Indian fringe parties include the pro-Barisan Nasional [[Malaysian Indian United Party]] (MIUP), [[Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party]] (MMSP) and the latest [[Malaysian Indian Justice Party]] (MIJP). There was also the [[Democratic Malaysian Indian Party]] (DMIP) which has been dissolved.

In the [[Malaysian general election, 2018|Malaysian general election]] held in 2018, sixteen Indians were elected to the [[Dewan Rakyat]]. This is the [[Ethnic Indians in the Dewan Rakyat|highest number of Malaysian Indians elected to parliament]] in Malaysian history.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://littleindia.com/malaysia-gets-16-indian-origin-members-of-parliament/|title=Malaysia Gets 16 Indian-Origin Members of Parliament|date=2018-05-15|work=Little India: Overseas Indian, NRI, Asian Indian, Indian American|access-date=2018-06-07|language=en-US}}</ref>

[[HINDRAF]] was an ally to the [[Pakatan Harapan]] government. This is in addition to [[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|DAP]] and [[People's Justice Party (Malaysia)|PKR]] which are multiracial parties with Indian representatives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/node/369691/amp|title=Malaysian Indians have dropped MIC, opt for multiracial parties|website=www.nst.com.my|language=en|access-date=2018-06-07}}</ref> However HINDRAF is dissolved as of 2019 by RoS and currently this ruling is being brought to court for hearing.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 November 2017 |title=RoS Stumbling block for GE14 |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2017/11/24/ros-only-stumbling-block-for-hindraf-to-contest-in-ge14/ |access-date=13 Dec 2023 |website=www.freemalaysiatoday.net}}</ref>

Media and the performing arts{{See also|Malaysian Tamil Cinema|Anugerah Industri Muzik Malaysian-Indian|Lists of Tamil-language media in Malaysia}}
[[File:Indian Classical Dance.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tamils#Performing arts|Tamil classical dance]], performed in Malaysia.]]
Satellite television provider [[Astro (Malaysian satellite television)|Astro]] provides several [[Tamil language|Tamil]] [[satellite television|satellite]] [[television channels]]. [[Astro Vaanavil]] and state-owned [[Radio Televisyen Malaysia|RTM]] [[TV2 (Malaysia)|TV2]] broadcast locally produced [[Tamil language|Tamil]] shows. India-based channels available in [[Malaysia]] are [[Sun TV (India)|Sun TV]], [[Jaya TV]], [[Chutti TV]]. Thanga Thirai and [[Velli Thirai]] are [[Tamil language|Tamil]] movie channels while [[B4U (network)|Astro B4U]] is a [[Hindi language|Hindi]] movie channel. The Malaysian Indian community is an important market for the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] film industry [[Kollywood]]. There are 2-[[Tamil language|Tamil]] radio stations of the state-owned [[Minnal FM]] and the privately owned [[THR.fm|THR Raaga]].

It is also customary for major Malaysian corporations to produce television commercials in conjunction with [[Deepavali]]. They generally pay tribute to the contributions of the Indian community to the nation and are well received by Indians of all faiths. The heart-warming Deepavali commercials by the state petroleum company [[Petronas]] are especially popular. Indian Malaysians have also contributed to the mainstream Malaysian entertainment industry. The Jayhawkers from Seremban led by one Joe Chelliah was the first non-Malay pop band with only Indian musicians that recorded popular commercial albums in Malay in the mid 1960s itself. More recent notable Indian Malaysian artists with multiracial appeal are [[Reshmonu]], [[Jaclyn Victor]], and [[Alleycats (Malaysian rock band)|Alleycats]]. Indian Malaysians have also made significant contributions to the Malaysian English theatre scene. Tamil [[hip hop]] was started in Malaysia by pioneers like rappers Chakra Sonic, Yogi B and several others, which had since then made its way to Kollywood.

[[Bharata Natyam]], the Tamil classical dance of India, is an important feature of Tamil culture and is hence popular in Malaysia. Ramli Ibrahim and [[Mavin Khoo]] are two non-Indian Malaysians who are [[Indian classical dance]] performers. The Temple of Fine Arts in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur is an academy that provides training in traditional Indian dance and music. The [[urumi (drum)|urumee]] drums are often played at religious and cultural events. The [[nadaswaram]] is a traditional Indian wind instrument often played at Indian weddings in Malaysia.

==Cuisine==
{{Further|Malaysian Indian Cuisine}}
[[File:Bananaleafrice001.jpg|thumb| [[Banana leaf rice]].]]
The contribution of the Indian community to [[Malaysian cuisine]] is substantial. Indian cuisine has had a strong influence on traditional [[Malay cuisine]] resulting in the popularity of curries in Malaysia. Indian restaurants are well received by Malaysians from all ethnic and religious backgrounds. They have become an important fixture in everyday Malaysian life and are the venue of choice for watching live televised football matches. [[Mamak stall|Mamak]] restaurants and stalls refer to eateries owned and staffed by [[Indian Muslims]]. The word 'Mamak' is sometimes erroneously used to describe any Indian restaurant. [[Roti canai]], [[nasi kandar]], [[maggi goreng]] and [[pasembur]] (Mamak rojak) are Indian dishes unique to Malaysia. Nasi kandar is sold exclusively in [[Indian Muslim]] restaurants and the recipes are closely guarded secrets. Unlike Indian cuisine in the United Kingdom and other Western countries which tend to focus on [[North Indian cuisine]], Indian cuisine in Malaysia is largely based on [[South Indian cuisine]] as the Malaysian Indian diaspora is overwhelmingly Tamil, although some northern dishes such as [[tandoori chicken]] and [[naan]] bread are common. Southern breakfast delicacies such as [[idli]], [[vadai]] and [[Dosa (food)|dosa]] (spelled in Malaysia as 'thosai') are common. The [[appam]] is a favourite breakfast dish in Tamil homes. ''Idiyappam'' is known as [[putu mayam]] in Malay and usually sold by mobile motorcycle vendors. [[Murukku]] is made to mark [[Deepavali]]. Meals of rice with various vegetable and meat dishes along with other condiments are served on banana leaves in restaurants for lunch and dinner, and also in Indian households during special occasions. Mutton ([[goat meat]]) is highly favoured and served as either ''varuval'' (dry curry) or ''peratal'' (curry with a thick gravy). Fried bitter gourd, banana chips, [[papadam]], [[Rasam (dish)|rasam]], yoghurt and pickles are the usual condiments. Desserts and sweets include [[payasam]], [[halva]], [[mysore pak]], palgoa and ghee balls.
Some Indian foods have been widely adopted and localised. This includes but not limited to [[Murukku]], [[Adhirasam]] and [[Puttu]].

==Religion==
{{bar box
| title    = Religions of Indian Malaysians<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf |title=2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia |language=ms, en |access-date=17 June 2012 |publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522234002/http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/census2010/Taburan_Penduduk_dan_Ciri-ciri_Asas_Demografi.pdf |archive-date=22 May 2014 }} p. 82</ref>
| titlebar =#Fcd116
| left1    = Religion
| right1   = Percent
| float    = right
| bars     =
{{bar percent|[[Hinduism]]|Orange|86.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|Blue|6.0}}
{{bar percent|[[Islam]]|Green|4.1}}
{{bar percent|Other Religion|Brown|1.9}}
{{bar percent|[[Buddhism]]|Yellow|1.7}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|No Religion]]|Black|0.05}}
{{bar percent|Folk Religion|Red|0.04}}
{{bar percent|Unknown|Gray|0.01}}

}}
The Indian community which mostly consist of [[Tamils]] follow Hinduism as the main faith. Hinduism and Buddhism were brought to the Malay Peninsula from India around the 2nd century AD. The Indian-influenced kingdoms of Kadaram ([[Early history of Kedah|Old Kedah]]), and Ilangosagam ([[Langkasuka]]) practised Hinduism and Buddhism during the rule of the Malay-[[Srivijaya]] and Tamil-[[Chola]] kingdoms.<ref name=Arasaratnam1970>{{cite book | last = Arasaratnam| first = Sinnappah|title = Indians in Malaysia and Singapore| url = https://archive.org/details/indiansinmalaysi0000aras| url-access = registration| year = 1970| publisher = Oxford University Press| location = London| pages = [https://archive.org/details/indiansinmalaysi0000aras/page/4 4], 168, 169, 170, 171, & 175| isbn = 978-0-19-218184-8}}</ref> The early few Indians arrived and assimilated quickly into the local population through intermarriage.

Hinduism is the most practiced religion amongst the Tamils, including both the major Hindu and Tamil pantheon of deities. Tamils of both Indian and Sri Lankan backgrounds practice Hinduism. Vast majority of the [[Malaysian Malayali|Malayalees]] and Telugus in Malaysia also practice Hinduism.

[[Sikhism]] is practiced mainly by [[Punjabi people|Punjabis]]. Many Sindhis also worship in Sikh Gurdwaras in Malaysia. Christianity is practiced by a minority of Tamil and Malayali people. In Malaysia, most of the Indian Christians are either [[Catholic]], [[Pentecostal]], [[Anglican]], [[Methodist]], or [[Lutheran]]. The majority of the [[Malaysian Malayali|Malayalee]] Christians are either [[Catholic]] or [[Saint Thomas Christians|Syrian Christians]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41493199|jstor = 41493199|last1 = Daniel|first1 = J. Rabindra|title = Diversity Among Indian Christians in Peninsular Malaysia|journal = Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|year = 1992|volume = 1|issue = 262|pages = 71–88}}</ref> Trade contact with the Tamils predate the Islamic period (c. 570-632 AD), or the birth of Islam. Indonesians and Malays learned of Islam initially through Gujarati merchants and further developed on by the Arab traders. Most of the Indian Muslim community has been absorbed into the larger Malay community due to their common religious background, with a substantially high level of assimilation and intermarriage between the communities. In Malaysia, [[Tamil Muslim]]s are often referred to as 'Mamaks' while [[Malabar Muslims|Malayalee Muslims]] are known as 'Kakas' or 'Malabaris'.
<gallery>
File:Batu caves.jpg|[[Batu Caves]]
File:Sri Mahamariamman Temple 2, central Kuala Lumpur.jpg| [[Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur|Sri Mahamariamman Temple]] in Kuala Lumpur
File:Bmcity.jpg|[[St. Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam|St. Anne's Church]] in [[Bukit Mertajam]]
File:Masjid Kapitan Keling.jpg|[[Kapitan Keling Mosque]] in [[George Town, Penang|George Town]]
File:Tawau Sabah ThirumuruganTemple-01.jpg|Thirumurugan Temple in [[Tawau]]
</gallery>

==Festivals==
[[File:Thaipusam idols.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Idols carried in procession during Thaipusam at Batu Caves.]]
One of the biggest Hindu festivals in Malaysia is [[Thaipusam]]. Thaipusam is dedicated to the God [[Murugan]] which occurs on the day in the [[Hindu calendar|Tamil month]] of ''Thai'' (January–February) when the asterism ''Poosam'' is on the ascendant. It is celebrated in grand style in the temples of, [[George Town, Penang|George Town]], [[Ipoh]] and [[Kuala Lumpur]] for three days.

In Kuala Lumpur, Thaipusam has become an almost national seat for ''Poosam'' celebrations. The venue of the Kuala Lumpur celebrations is a picturesque shrine right inside a cave that lies many feet above the ground, and can only be approached by a steep climb. This place, known as [[Batu Caves]], is about eight miles from the city, and a [[Temple car|chariot]] procession carrying the image of the deity to and from the place adds to the color and gaiety of the festival. Crowds from all over the country throng to the cave, including people of all classes and groups. It is above all a day of penance, on which many vows are fulfilled. A 42.7m high statue of Lord Murugan was built at Batu Caves and was unveiled in January 2006, having taken three years to construct.

One of the most significant rites performed is the carrying of the [[kavadi]], a large wooden decorated arch, as an act of penance. When deities are taken on procession from one shrine to another, they would be followed by a number of these voluntary kavadi-bearers. In other towns and estates, kavadis would be carried for other festivals like ''Chittirai Paruvam''. Some of the more rigid practitioners would bear spikes, spears, and hooks pierced into their bodies. The ''Chittirai Paruvam'' festival and festivals to the Tamil deity [[Mariamman]] are usually accompanied by a fire-walking ceremony.<ref name=Arasaratnam1970/>

[[Deepavali]], popularly known as the 'Festival of Lights', is another major Hindu festival which is celebrated by all Hindu communities. Tamils celebrate [[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]] which is a harvest festival usually held from 13–16 January. A similar festival known as [[Makar Sankranti]] is celebrated by most other Indian communities while the Punjabis call their harvest festival [[Lohri]].

The [[Malaysian Malayali|Malayalees]] celebrate [[Vishu]], the Malayalee New Year which usually falls in the month of April or the month of Medam in the [[Malayalam calendar]]. [[Onam]] is the most popular festival celebrated by the Malayalee community and is usually observed in the month of August or September. They usually prepare ''Sadhya'', a lunch feast consisting 16 to 24 vegetarian dishes (without onions and garlics).{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

The Telugus celebrate [[Ugadi]], the Telugu New Year which is based on the [[lunar calendar]]; unlike [[Puthandu]], the Tamil New Year and [[Vasakhi]], the Sikh New Year which are based on the [[solar calendar]]. [[Makar Sankranti]] is an important festival for [[Telugu people|Telugu]] community also celebrated as Pongal by Tamils.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

The festivals celebrated by Malaysian Indians who profess the Christian faith are [[Easter]], [[Christmas]] and [[All Souls' Day]] (mainly celebrated by Catholics). Indian Muslims observe [[Ramadan]], the Muslim month of fasting; and celebrate [[Hari Raya Aidilfitri#South-East Asia|Hari Raya Aidilfitri]] and [[Eid al-Adha|Hari Raya Aidiladha]].

==Progress==
===Timeline===
* 1873 - [[Sri MahaMariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur]] was founded by [[K. Thamboosamy Pillay]]
* 1920 - [[Sri MahaMariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur]]  initially used as a private shrine opened door to public. This is the oldest functioning Hindu temple in Malaysia
* 1924 -  [[K. Thamboosamy Pillay]] become the  first non-white member of the Royal Selangor Club to attain permanent membership.
* 1946 - Malaysian Indian leaders including [[John Thivy]], [[Sardar Booth Singh]] and MK Ramachandaran Naidu gathered at the premise of [[Sri MahaMariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur|Sri Maha Mariamman Temple]] in [[Kuala Lumpur]] and agreed to form a political party in the interest of Indian community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of MICம.இ.கா வரலாறு – Malaysian Indian Congress |url=https://mic.org.my/2023/08/21/history-of-mic%e0%ae%ae-%e0%ae%87-%e0%ae%95%e0%ae%be-%e0%ae%b5%e0%ae%b0%e0%ae%b2%e0%ae%be%e0%ae%b1%e0%af%81/ |access-date=2026-04-07 |language=en-US}}</ref> [[John Thivy]] was elected as the first president in the same year during a national gathering organized by [[Selangor Indian Association]]. The party was named [[Malaysian Indian Congress|Malaya Indian Congress]] during the first conference that happened on the same year at Chettiar Hall, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. 
* 1951 - [[K. L. Devaser|Kundan Lal Devaser]] become the fourth president of [[Malaysian Indian Congress|Malaya Indian Congress]].It was under Devaser's presidency that the MIC joined the [[Barisan Nasional|Alliance]] in 1954
* 1953 - [[Radhakrishna Ramani]] elected as the 2nd [[Malaysian Bar#List of presidents of the Malaysian Bar|President]] of [[Malaysian Bar]].He became the first Asian to serve as president of Malaya Bar Council.<ref name="Mbar">{{cite web|url=http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/past_presidents.html |title=The Malaysian Bar |publisher=The Malaysian Bar |date= |accessdate=2015-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/story/?file=%2F2007%2F10%2F21%2Flifefocus%2F19211386&sec=lifefocus |title=Archives &#124; The Star Online |publisher=Thestar.com.my |date=2007-10-21 |accessdate=2015-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tommythomas.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/legal-POLITICAL-REALITY-AND-THE-MALAYSIAN-BAR.pdf |title=Political Reality and the Malaysian Bar |publisher=Tommythomas.net |accessdate=2015-05-14}}</ref>
* 1955- [[V. T. Sambanthan|Tun Sambanthan]] was elected as the fifth president of [[Malaysian Indian Congress|Malaya Indian Congress]]. He is the first [[Tamil Malaysians|Tamil]] and South Indian to hold the role of president of the party. MIC headquater was moved to Brickfield (Jalan Tun Sambathan) from [[Sri MahaMariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur|Sri MahaMariamman Temple]]
* 1973 -  [[Malaysian Indian Congress|MIC]] headquarter ,[[Menara Manickavasagam]] was inaugurated by Malaysian 2nd Prime Minister. During that time, the tower was the tallest political party headquarter in Malaysia.<ref>https://mic.org.my/2023/08/21/history-of-mic%E0%AE%AE-%E0%AE%87-%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE-%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%81/</ref>
* 1978 -  [[Ganga Nayar]] become the first female to head a political party in Malaysia after founding the  [[National Trust Party (Malaysia)|Malaysian Workers' Party]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapersnid=1309&dat=19890312&id=FqJUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=2836,2625494&hl=en|title=Google News|access-date=2021-11-30|archive-date=2021-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130105737/https://news.google.com/topstories?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1969, upon winning the Serendah state seat, she was also the first woman of Indian descent to be elected to a legislature in Malaysia.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/79239#ixzz3kToNTwsI|title = First Indian woman rep bemoans racial politics|date = 6 March 2008|access-date = 1 September 2015|archive-date = 4 March 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062648/https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/79239#ixzz3kToNTwsI|url-status = live}}</ref>
* 1991 - [[Kamal Bamadhaj]], a political science student and human rights activist  was killed in the [[Santa Cruz massacre|Dili Massacre]] in [[Timor-Leste|East Timor]].He was the only foreign national to be killed when Indonesian troops opened fire on a funeral procession at the Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili.
* 2001 - [[AIMST University]] esthablished.<ref>http://www.myaimst.com/2008/08/the-making-of-aimst-university/</ref>
* 2005 - [[Cecil Rajendra]] was awarded the first Malaysian Lifetime Humanitarian Award "in recognition of his pioneering legal aid work and exemplary poetry".<ref name=MBar /> Also in 2005 he was the first malaysian to be nominated for the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]], which went to [[Harold Pinter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesundaily.my/node/175992|title=Poetic Reason, acidic rhyme|date=12 November 2005|work=thesundaily.my}}</ref>
* 2005 - [[Param Cumaraswamy|Dato Param Cumaraswamy]] won the [[Gruber Prize for Justice]]. The first and only Malaysian to be awarded this international prizes .
* 2007 - [[2007 HINDRAF rally]] held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 25 November 2007.The organiser had called the protest over alleged discriminatory policies on Malaysian Indians. [[Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy]], [[P. Uthayakumar]], [[Manoharan Malayalam]], Vasantha Kumar Krishnan and [[Ganabatirau Veraman]] lead the protest.
* 2008 - During [[2008 Malaysian general election]], [[Manoharan Malayalam]] won Kota Alam Shah state seat while being detained under the [[Internal Security Act 1960|Internal Security Act]]. He become first person to win a elecition in Malaysia while in Jail.<ref>[http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/333784/1/.html] Channel news Asia Report</ref>
* 2015 - [[Steven Thiru]] become the 31st President of the Malaysian Bar
* 2016 - [[Jagat (2015 film)|Jagat]] was awarded Best Malaysian Film in [[Malaysia Film Festival|28th Malaysia Film Festival]]. The film become first non Malay language film to won the award and become a landmark achievement in the MFF.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Yeoh|first1=Angelin|title='Jagat' bags top film award, creates history|url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/09/04/jagat-bags-top-film-award-creates-history/|website=The Star|publisher=Star Media Group Berhad|access-date=18 September 2016|date=4 September 2016}}</ref>
* 2016 - [[Nisha Ayub]] awarded [[International Women of Courage Award]]. She become the second Malaysian and first  [[transgender]] to won the award.
* 2018 - [[Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy]] appointed as [[Minister in the Prime Minister's Department]] (National Unity and Social Wellbeing). He is the first Indian to serve as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. He also the first [[HINDRAF]] leader to have achieved a full Minister status in the government cabinet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/hindraf-apos-waytha-moorthy-made-134703087.html|title=Hindraf's Waytha Moorthy to be made Minister after senate swearing-in tomorrow|website=sg.news.yahoo.com|access-date=27 May 2019|archive-date=31 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831104336/https://sg.news.yahoo.com/hindraf-apos-waytha-moorthy-made-134703087.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/391774/waytha-moorthy-appointed-minister-four-other-senators-made-deputy|title = Waytha Moorthy appointed minister, four other senators made deputy ministers|publisher=[[New Straits Times]]|date = 17 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/18/minister-and-deputies-appointed-waytha-moorthy-to-head-national-unity-and-social-wellbeing-portfolio/|title=Minister and deputies appointed|website=[[The Star Online]]|date=18 July 2018 |access-date=27 May 2019}}</ref> 
* 2018 - [[Vedigundu Pasangge]] earned £222 on the first day in [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jul/31/mission-impossible-fallout-tom-cruise-control-uk-box-office|title=Mission: Impossible – Fallout in cruise control at UK box office|first=Charles|last=Gant|date=31 July 2018|website=The Guardian}}</ref> It was the highest opening collection for a movie from Malaysia in the United Kingdom box office
* 2019 - [[Latheefa Koya]], appoint as the 5th Chief Commissioner of the [[Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web|date=4 June 2019|access-date=4 June 2019|newspaper=[[New Straits Times]]|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/493863/latheefa-koya-new-macc-chief|title=Latheefa Koya is new MACC chief|author=Beatrice Nita Jay}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=4 June 2019|access-date=4 June 2019|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-04/malaysia-picks-human-rights-activist-to-lead-anti-graft-agency|title=Malaysia Picks Human-Rights Activist to Lead Anti-Graft Agency|work=Anuradha Raghu}}</ref> She is the first non-Malay to hold this position.
* 2024 - [[C4 Cinta]] recorded the highest box office collection at RM2.5 million, making it the [[Malaysian Tamil cinema|highest-grossing local Tamil film]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2025/01/08/rising-director-karthik-is-making-waves-and-his-film-039c4cinta039-is-breaking-new-grounds-for-local-tamil-movie-after-a-rm25mil-box-office-haul|title=Rising director Karthik is making waves and his film 'C4Cinta' is breaking new grounds for local Tamil movie after a RM2.5mil box office haul|work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]|first=S.|last=Navalan|date=8 January 2025}}</ref>

==Influence on Malaysian culture==
Indian influences could be seen on modern Malaysia as well as on traditional Malay culture. The diffusion of Indian culture includes the following:

*[[Malay folklore]] contains a rich number of Indian-influenced mythological characters, such as [[Bidadari]], [[Jatayu|Jentayu]], [[Garuda]] and [[Nāga|Naga]].
*[[Malaysian literature|Early Malay literature]] was highly influenced by Indian epics, such as the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' and the ''[[Ramayana]]''.
*[[Wayang]] shadow puppets and classical dance-dramas of Malaysia took stories from episodes of ''Ramayana'' and ''Mahabharata''.

===Language and names===
{{Main|Tamil and Sanskrit inscriptions in the Malay world}}

A good number of Tamil inscriptions as well as Hindu and Buddhist icons emanating from South India have been found in Southeast Asia (and even in parts of [[Northern and southern China|south China]]). On the Malay Peninsula, inscriptions have been found at [[Takuapa]], not far from the [[Vishnuite]] statues of Khao Phra Narai in [[Southern Thailand]]. It is a short inscription indicating that an artificial lake named ''Avani-naranam'' was dug by ''nangur-Udaiyan'' which is the name of an individual who possessed a military [[fief]] at Nangur, being famous for his abilities as a warrior, and that the lake was placed under the protection of the members of the Manikkiramam (which according to K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, was a merchant guild) living in the military camp.<ref name=Sastri1949>{{cite journal | author = Sastri, K.A. Nilakanta | year = 1949| title = Takuapa and its Tamil Inscription Part I. | journal = Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society| volume = 22}}</ref>

An inscription dated 779 AD has been found in [[Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom|Ligor]], Malay Peninsula. This refers to the trade relationship between the [[Ancient Tamil country|Tamil country]] and Malaya.<ref name=Arokiaswamy2000>{{cite book | last = Arokiaswamy| first = Celine W.M.| title = Tamil Influences in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines| year = 2000| location = Manila |publisher=s.n.| pages = 37, 38, 41, 43, 45–49, 51–57}}</ref> In [[Bujang Valley|ancient Kedah]] there is an inscription found by Dr. [[Horace Geoffrey Quaritch Wales|Quaritch Wales]]. It is an inscribed stone bar, rectangular in shape, bears the ye-dharmma formula<ref group="nb">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.virtualvinodh.com/brahmi-lipitva/208-ye-dhamma-brahmi
 |title=Ye Dhamma - The Verse of Causation
 |date=2 April 2012
 |publisher=Vinodh's Virtual Cyber Space
 |access-date=13 April 2012
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320104742/http://www.virtualvinodh.com/brahmi-lipitva/208-ye-dhamma-brahmi
 |archive-date=20 March 2012
 |quote=The Pali verse 'Ye Dhamma... ' is a popular verse in Buddhism that explains the heart of Buddhism Philosophy i.e Dependant Origination. The Sanskrit version of the verse is called "Pratityasamutpada Hridaya Dharani" [The Heart Dharani of Dependant Origination] with Om added to the beginning of the Verse, and Svaha added at the end, thus Dharani-fying the entire verse. The Pali version never seems to have had any specific title.
 |url-status=dead
}}</ref> in [[Vatteluttu alphabet|South Indian characters]] of the 4th century AD, thus proclaiming the Buddhist character of the shrine near the find-spot (site I) of which only the basement survives. The inscriptions are on three faces in ''Pallava Grantha script''. The Ruler Raja Ganga fled from his empire into the forests with his queen and an infant heir. Raja Ganga left traces of hideout on a nearby hill in form of artefacts on stones. All these inscriptions, both [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Sanskrit]] ones, relate to the activities of the people and rulers of the Tamil country of South India. The [[Tamil script|Tamil inscriptions]] are at least four centuries posterior to the Sanskrit inscriptions, from which the early Tamils themselves were patronizers of the Sanskrit language.<ref name=Arokiaswamy2000/> The Cherok Tokun Ancient Inscriptions were first documented by Colonel [[James Low (East India Company officer)|James Low]], a British army officer, in 1845. In his log, Low recorded his disappointment of not finding a more spectacular ruin, expecting to find an ancient temple ruin. He documented what he made out to be "a group of seven inscriptions". The inscriptions were believed to be in pre-Pallava script and written in Sanskrit. They were attributed to the ancient Kingdom of Kadaaram, which flourished in northern Malaysia in the 5th to 6th centuries. However, according to J Laidlay, who translated the text in 1848, the inscription was in fact written in [[Pali]] - another ancient language of the Indian subcontinent.

An element needed to carry out commercial transactions is a common language understood by all parties involved in early trade. Historians such as J.V. Sebastian, K.T. Thirunavukkarasu, and A.W. Hamilton record that Tamil was the common language of commerce in Malaysia and Indonesia during historical times.<ref name="Arokiaswamy2000"/> The maritime Tamil significance in Sumatran and Malay Peninsula trading continued for centuries and borrowings into Malay from Tamil increased between the 15th and 19th centuries due to their commercial activities. In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company was obliged to use Tamil as part of its correspondence. In Malacca and other seaports up to the 19th century, Malay terminology pertaining to book-keeping and accountancy was still largely Tamil.<ref name=Sneddon2003/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Tamil
!Malay
!English
|-
| Kadai
(கடை)
| kedai
| shop
|-
| Kappal
(கப்பல்)
| kapal
| ship
|-
| Vagai
(வகை)
| bagai
| variety/ like
|-
| Toppi
(தொப்பி)
| topi
| hat
|}

===Infrastructure===
Indians have contributed significantly to the building of Malaysia since the 19th century. The Indian workforce was instrumental in the clearing of land for infrastructure, established rubber plantations, built the roads, set up transmission lines as well as managed early Malayan railways, ports and airports. Indian doctors, chemists and veterinarians formed the bulk of medical personnel in Malaysia - their contributions still persist to present day. Indian civil servants formed the core of the civil service both pre- and post-independence. Indian teachers who were particularly fluent in the English language formed the backbone of Malaysian education, particularly in missionary schools. Indians also pioneered private education in Malaysia.

==Diaspora==
A number of Malaysian Indian immigrants are found in Australia, and they tended to be highly qualified and speak English fluently and were therefore highly employable.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins|last = Jupp|first = James|publisher = Cambridge University Press|year = 2001|isbn = 9780521807890|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=wgoFxfSTfYAC&pg=PA432 |pages = 432}}</ref> There is also a small community of [[Indian Australian|Australians of Indian descent]] on the [[Australia]]n [[States and territories of Australia|external territory]] of [[Christmas Island]] who live alongside other Australians of ethnic Malaysian Chinese, Malay and European descent.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins|last = Jupp|first = James|publisher = Cambridge University Press|year = 2001|isbn = 9780521807890|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=wgoFxfSTfYAC&pg=PA225 |pages = 225}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of Malaysian Indians}}

Among the notable people of Indian descent in Malaysia are [[K. Thamboosamy Pillay]], a prominent figure of early [[Kuala Lumpur]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L_hwAAAAMAAJ|title=A History of Kuala Lumpur 1856–1939|first=J.M. |last=Gullick|publisher=The Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|year=2000|pages=43, 135, 140|isbn=9789679948158}}</ref> and [[Karpal Singh]], [[V. David]] and [[Samy Vellu]], all prominent [[List of Malaysian politicians of Indian descent|Malaysian Indian politicians]].

==Challenges for the future==

Institutionalized racism and discrimination in government policy such as [[Malaysian New Economic Policy|NEP]] had an adverse impact on non-Malays including the Malaysian Indian minority in Malaysia.<ref name=":0a">{{Cite web |last=Pusat Komas |first= |date=24 Nov 2023 |title=Malaysia Racial Discrimination Report 2021 |url=https://komas.org/download/Malaysia-Racial-Discrimination-Report-2021.pdf |access-date=23 Nov 2023 |website=komas.org}}</ref> Despite the fact that the average income of Malaysian Indians exceeds that of their Malay counterparts, there exists a substantial portion of the community who are poor, with 40% of Malaysian Indians claimed to be at the bottom rung of the income ladder.<ref name="malaymail2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/yps-40pc-of-indians-in-malaysia-still-at-bottom-rung-of-the-income-ladder |title=YPS: 40pc of Malaysian Indians still at bottom rung of the income ladder |work=The Malay Mail |date=15 May 2015 |author=Bernama}}</ref> Despite the obvious need of the poor, Malaysian Indians are not eligible for any of Malaysia's affirmative-action programmes, which are reserved for Malays and select indigenous people.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2017/05/18/race-based-affirmative-action-is-failing-poor-malaysians |title=Race-based affirmative action is failing poor Malaysians |newspaper=The Economist |date=18 May 2017 }}</ref><ref name=ragesh>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-30861620071206 |title=Malaysian Indian leader seeks affirmative action |first=Y.P. |last=Rajesh |work=Reuters|date= 6 December 2007}}</ref>
[[Ramon Navaratnam]] argued the NEP needs to be reformed as it is outdated, and should be replaced with a system that can help close the gap of poverty regardless of race and religion.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Navaratnam |first=Tan Sri Ramon |date=2020-11-25 |title=Malaysia needs to reform its New Economic Policy: Sin Chew Daily contributor |language=en |work=The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/malaysia-needs-to-reform-its-new-economic-policy-sin-chew-daily-contributor |access-date=2023-12-01 |issn=0585-3923}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jomo |first=K. S. |date=Winter 1990 |title=Whither Malaysia's New Economic Policy? |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2759912 |journal=Pacific Affairs |volume=63 |issue=4 |pages=469–499 |doi=10.2307/2759912|jstor=2759912 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Further challenges faced by the Indian community is religious conflict due to increasing Islamisation,<ref name=ragesh /> and there were communal clashes between Indians and
Malays such as the [[2001 Kampung Medan riots]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1228679.stm |title=Ethnic strife shakes Malaysia |date= 18 March 2001 |work=BBC }}</ref> as well as protest over racial discrimination and temple demolitions during the [[2007 HINDRAF rally]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/Malaysian-Indians-a-disadvantaged-community/article14889855.ece |title=Malaysian Indians: a disadvantaged community |date=7 December 2007 |work=The Hindu |author=V. Suryanarayan}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-protest/indian-protest-rocks-malaysia-ahead-of-polls-idUSKLR16504820071125 |title=Indian protest rocks Malaysia ahead of polls |author=Mark Bendeich |author2=Clarence Fernandez |work=Reuters |date=25 November 2007 }}</ref> These factors in part have resulted in the migration of many highly skilled Malaysian Indians abroad, where Indian migrants are largely upwardly mobile. A survey in 2017 found that 42% of Malaysian Indians who had completed their secondary or tertiary education wanted to emigrate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cipd.asia/news/hr-news/malaysia-brain-drain |title=Malaysia 'must address issue of brain drain' |date=23 August 2017 |author=Poorna Rodrigo |author2=EK Heng NG |access-date=30 January 2018 |archive-date=9 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609093103/https://www.cipd.asia/news/hr-news/malaysia-brain-drain |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Notes ===
{{reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist|20em|refs=
<ref name="2015 population">{{cite web|url=http://pmr.penerangan.gov.my/index.php/info-terkini/19463-unjuran-populasi-penduduk-2015.html |title=Population by States and Ethnic Group|publisher=Department of Information, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, Malaysia|year=2015|access-date=12 February 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160212125740/http://pmr.penerangan.gov.my/index.php/info-terkini/19463-unjuran-populasi-penduduk-2015.html|archive-date=12 February 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

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<ref name="population">{{cite web|url=https://www.statistics.gov.my/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=155&bul_id=OWlxdEVoYlJCS0hUZzJyRUcvZEYxZz09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09 |title=Current Population Estimates, Malaysia, 2014 - 2016 |work=Department of Statistics, Malaysia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812014710/https://www.statistics.gov.my/index.php?r=column%2FcthemeByCat&cat=155&bul_id=OWlxdEVoYlJCS0hUZzJyRUcvZEYxZz09&menu_id=L0pheU43NWJwRWVSZklWdzQ4TlhUUT09 |archive-date=12 August 2016 }}</ref>
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}}

=== Bibliography ===
* "Tragic Orphans: Indians in Malaysia" by Carl Vadivella Belle, Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, {{ISBN|978-981-4519-03-8}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TeExjdWUmJYC&pg=PA162|title=Indian Communities in Southeast Asia |edition=First Reprint |editor=K S Sandhu |editor2=A Mani |first=Kernial Singh |last=Sandhu|publisher=ISEAS Publishing |date=30 January 2006|isbn=978-9812304186}}

{{Ethnic groups in Malaysia}}
{{Indians in Malaysia}}
{{Ethnic groups in Sabah}}
{{Indian diaspora}}
{{Portal bar|Malaysia|Tamil|Society}}

[[Category:Indian diaspora in Malaysia|*]]
[[Category:Indian diaspora by country|Malaysia]]