M el ay u ' ▁then , ▁begins ▁to ▁appear ▁as ▁inter change able ▁with ▁Mel ak ans , ▁especially ▁in ▁describing ▁the ▁cultural ▁prefer ences ▁of ▁the ▁Mel ak ans ▁as ▁against ▁the ▁foreign ers . ▁T ome ▁P ires ▁explained ▁how ▁Mel aka ▁itself ▁class ified ▁mer ch ants ▁into ▁four ▁groups , ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁Mal ay os ▁or ▁Mel ay u ▁did ▁not ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁list , ▁suggesting ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁then ▁regarded ▁as ▁category ▁outside ▁the ▁Mel aka ▁itself . ▁It ▁remains ▁unclear ▁when ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁Mal ay ness ▁began ▁to ▁character ize ▁areas ▁beyond ▁Mel aka , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁generally ▁believed ▁that ▁Mal ay isation ▁intens ified ▁within ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Mel aka ▁region ▁following ▁the ▁territorial ▁and ▁commercial ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁s ultan ate ▁in ▁mid ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁ ▁European ▁period ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries , ▁' Mal ay ' ▁and ▁' Mal ay ness ' ▁were ▁associated ▁with ▁two ▁major ▁elements ; ▁first , a ▁line ▁of ▁king ship ▁acknowled ging ▁descent ▁from ▁S riv ij aya ▁and ▁Mel aka ; ▁and ▁second , ▁a ▁commercial ▁di as por a ▁retain ing ▁the ▁custom s , ▁language ▁and ▁trade ▁practices ▁of ▁Mel aka . ▁In ▁his ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁Mal ay ▁word - list , ▁Antonio ▁P ig af etta ▁made ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁how ▁the ▁phrase ▁chi ara ▁Mal ai u ▁(' Mal ay ▁ways ')