al , ▁the ▁h ood ed ▁se al , ▁the ▁mon k ▁se al , ▁or ▁a ▁ho ax ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁Jen ny ▁Han iver . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Bishop - fish ▁ ▁D agon ▁ ▁Um ib ō zu ▁ ▁Jen ny ▁Han iver ▁ ▁Ex plan atory ▁notes ▁ ▁References ▁Cit ations ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Category : Med ieval ▁European ▁legend ary ▁cre atures ▁Category : Christ ian ▁legend ary ▁cre atures ▁Category : M yth ic ▁aqu atic ▁cre atures ▁Category : Leg end ary ▁fish <0x0A> </s> ▁Mal ay ness ▁( ▁J aw i : ▁) ▁is ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁being ▁Mal ay ▁or ▁of ▁em body ing ▁Mal ay ▁characteristics . ▁This ▁may ▁include ▁that ▁which ▁bind s ▁and ▁distingu ishes ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁people ▁and ▁forms ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁their ▁unity ▁and ▁identity . ▁People ▁who ▁call ▁themselves ▁Mal ay ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁many ▁countries ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁un ited ▁by ▁a ▁not ional ▁shared ▁identity ▁but ▁divided ▁by ▁political ▁boundaries , ▁diver gent ▁histor ies , ▁variant ▁dialect s ▁and ▁peculiar ities ▁of ▁local ▁experience . ▁While ▁the ▁term ▁' Mal ay ' ▁is ▁widely ▁used ▁and ▁readily ▁understood ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁it ▁remains ▁open ▁to ▁varying ▁interpret ations ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁varied ▁and ▁fluid ▁characteristics . ▁' Mal ay ' ▁as ▁an ▁identity , ▁or ▁national ity , ▁is ▁considered ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁challeng ing ▁and ▁per plex ing ▁concepts ▁in ▁the ▁multi - eth nic