▁political ▁character . ▁The ▁discuss ions ▁on ▁a ▁' Mal ay ▁nation ' ▁foc uss ed ▁on ▁questions ▁of ▁identity ▁and ▁distinction ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁custom s , ▁religion , ▁and ▁language , ▁rather ▁than ▁politics . ▁The ▁debate ▁surrounding ▁the ▁transition ▁cent red ▁on ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁who ▁could ▁be ▁called ▁the ▁real ▁Mal ay , ▁and ▁the ▁fr iction ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁various ▁fa ctions ▁amongst ▁Mal ay ▁national ists . ▁ ▁The ▁left ists ▁from ▁K es atu an ▁Mel ay u ▁M uda ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁earliest ▁who ▁appeared ▁with ▁an ▁ideal ▁of ▁a ▁Republic ▁of ▁Gre ater ▁Indones ia ▁for ▁a ▁Pan - Mal ay ▁identity . ▁The ▁version ▁of ▁Mal ay ness ▁brought ▁by ▁this ▁group ▁was ▁largely ▁model led ▁on ▁the ▁anth rop ological ▁concept ▁of ▁Mal ay ▁race , ▁that ▁trans c end ▁the ▁religious ▁boundary ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁absent ▁of ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁mon archy . ▁Another ▁attempt ▁to ▁re define ▁the ▁Mal ay ness ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁left ▁wing ▁political ▁parties , ▁the ▁A MC J A , ▁that ▁proposed ▁the ▁term ▁' M el ay u ' ▁as ▁a ▁dem onym ▁or ▁citizens hip ▁for ▁an ▁independent ▁Mal aya . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁armed ▁re bell ion ▁launched ▁by ▁the ▁Mal ay an ▁Commun ist ▁Party , ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁most ▁left ▁wing ▁organizations ▁came ▁to ▁a ▁halt ▁following ▁the ▁declaration ▁of ▁Mal ay an ▁Emer gency ▁in ▁ 1 9