There are three main ethnic groups in West Malaysia: Malays, Chinese and Indians. Note that Malaysians refers to all Malaysian citizens, while Malays refers to a particular ethnic group. Malays make up the majority of the population.
In East Malaysia (the states of Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo), the majority are from various indigenous groups, such as the Kadazan, Iban and Dayaks.
The Malays together with the indigenous groups of East and West Malaysia are collectively known as 'Bumiputeras' (literally, princes of the land), and are accorded various special rights and privileges.
The Malays are the majority in West Malaysia and make up around 15% of the population in East Malaysia. Malays speak Bahasa Melayu (or Bahasa Malaysia), sometimes called 'bahasa', Malay or simply BM. By law, Malays practise Islam. The religion shapes many of their cultural practices and they are not allowed to convert to other religions by Shariah law. The biggest celebration in the Malay community is Hari Raya, which takes place at the end of the fasting month. The Malay community dominates the political sector, the civil service, the military and the police.
The second largest group is the Chinese. The Chinese mostly settled in Malaysia during the British colonial era although some groups have been here much longer, especially in Malacca and Penang.The Chinese dominate much of the business sector and many of the wealthiest Malaysians are Chinese. Their links to their home culture are very strong with many Chinese speaking Mandarin, Cantonese or Hokkien and continuing Chinese traditions. Many Chinese are either Buddhist or Christian and their main celebrations are Chinese New Year and/or Christmas.
Most Indians in Malaysia originate from South India and speak Tamil or English. Like the Chinese, most of their ancestors came here under British rule. Also like the Chinese, their links to Tamil or Indian culture are very strong. Many Indians are either Hindu or Christian and their main celebrations are Deepavali and/or Christmas.
East Malaysians are ethnically quite distinct from West Malaysians. They typically belong to ethnic groups such as the Ibans, the Dayaks or the Kadazan, as well as many other smaller groups. Many of them are Muslim or Christian and many languages are spoken in East Malaysia - English is widely spoken as well as Bahasa Melayu. East Malaysia has its own political parties, often representing various ethnic groups.
There are also indigenous people in West Malaysia, collectively known as 'orang asli', which translates to 'original people'.
There are various expatriate communities, including large numbers of Koreans and Japanese as well as Europeans
Finally, there are large communities of foreign labourers, notably from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Indonesia. Technically, they are contracted to work in Malaysia for a short time, but many have stayed on either legally or illegally. Many families employ maids from Indonesia or the Philippines and there are many Filipinos employed in the service sector as waiters or such.