▁network . ▁The ▁Portuguese , ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Dutch ▁used ▁the ▁labels ▁' Mal ay ' ▁and ▁' Mal ay ness ' ▁in ▁this ▁way . ▁ ▁The ▁subject ive ▁aspect ▁of ▁Mal ay ▁and ▁Mal ay ness ▁allowed ▁a ▁distinct ▁pl ur ality ▁in ▁the ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁category ▁' Mal ay ', ▁since ▁it ▁was ▁open ▁to ▁new ▁rec ruits ▁from ▁any ▁background , ▁both ▁within ▁and ▁outside ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁World . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁S iak ▁in ▁eastern ▁Sum atra , ▁through ▁violence ▁and ▁literary ▁text , ▁succeeded ▁in ▁becoming ▁a ▁subgroup ▁within ▁the ▁larger ▁Mal ay ▁community , ▁similarly ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁R ia u , ▁powerful ▁migr ant ▁Bug is ▁el ites ▁within ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁heart land , ▁diplom atically ▁negoti ated ▁and ▁legit im ised ▁their ▁positions , ▁thus ▁gain ing ▁the ▁needed ▁identity ▁as ▁Mal ay . ▁Other ▁instances ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁observed ▁in ▁North ▁Sum atra ▁and ▁Bor neo , ▁where ▁trib al ▁communities , ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁B ata k ▁and ▁Day ak ▁pe op les , ▁being ▁system atically ▁drawn ▁into ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁s ultan ates . ▁ ▁In ▁British ▁Mal aya , ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁' pl ural ▁society ' ▁unders cor ed ▁the ▁social ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁colonial ▁and ▁post - colon ial ▁periods . ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 7 th – 1 9 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁colonial ▁administr ators — first ▁the ▁Dutch ,