▁world ▁of ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁eth os ▁of ▁Mal ay ▁identity ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁origin ate ▁from ▁the ▁asc end ancy ▁of ▁Mel aka ▁Sultan ate ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Mel aka ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 1 , ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁Mal ay ness ▁developed ▁in ▁two ▁ways : ▁to ▁claim ▁lines ▁of ▁king ship ▁or ▁acknow ledge ▁descent ▁from ▁S riv ij aya ▁and ▁Mel aka , ▁and ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁pl ural istic ▁commercial ▁di as por a ▁around ▁the ▁peri ph eries ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁world ▁that ▁retained ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁language , ▁custom s ▁and ▁trade ▁practices ▁of ▁the ▁Mel aka ▁em por ium . ▁By ▁the ▁mid ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁an ▁anti - West ern ▁colonial ism ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁rom antic ised ▁Mal ay ness ▁has ▁been ▁an ▁integral ▁component ▁of ▁Mal ay ▁national ism , ▁succeeded ▁in ▁ending ▁the ▁British ▁rule ▁in ▁Mal aya . ▁ ▁Today , ▁the ▁most ▁commonly ▁accepted ▁pill ars ▁of ▁Mal ay ness ; ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁R ul ers , ▁ ▁Mal ay ▁language ▁and ▁culture , ▁and ▁Islam , ▁are ▁institution al ised ▁in ▁both ▁Mal ay ▁majority ▁countries , ▁Br une i ▁and ▁Malays ia . ▁As ▁a ▁still ▁fully ▁function ing ▁Mal ay ▁s ultan ate , ▁Br une i ▁proc laimed ▁Mal ay ▁Islam ic ▁Mon archy ▁as ▁its ▁national ▁philosophy . ▁In ▁Malays ia ,