▁where ▁the ▁supre m acy ▁of ▁individual ▁Mal ay ▁s ultan ates ▁and ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁Islam ▁are ▁preserved , ▁a ▁Mal ay ▁identity ▁is ▁defined ▁in ▁Article ▁ 1 6 0 ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁of ▁Malays ia . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre ▁European ▁period ▁The ▁Mal ay ▁World , ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ay ic ▁Aust ron esian ▁tribes ▁since ▁the ▁last ▁Ice ▁age ▁( cir ca ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 – 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁B CE ), ▁exhib its ▁fasc in ating ▁eth nic , ▁lingu istic ▁and ▁cultural ▁variations ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁having ▁inherited ▁different ▁layers ▁of ▁foreign ▁influ ences . ▁The ▁ind igen ous ▁Anim istic ▁belief ▁system , ▁which ▁employed ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁sem ang at ▁( sp irit ) ▁in ▁every ▁natural ▁objects , ▁was ▁pre domin ant ▁among ▁the ▁ancient ▁Mal ay ic ▁tribes ▁before ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁D harm ic ▁relig ions ▁around ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁first ▁mill en ni um ▁CE . ▁The ▁D harm ic ▁period ▁was ▁in ▁turn ▁su pers eded ▁by ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁Islam ▁and ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁Mal ay ▁s ultan ates ▁in ▁different ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁from ▁ 1 2 th ▁century ▁on wards . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁' M el ay u ' ▁( Mal ay ) ▁and ▁its ▁variants ▁pred ates ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁era , ▁in ▁a ▁sense ▁which ▁appears ▁to ▁apply ▁as ▁an ▁old ▁to pon ym ▁to ▁the ▁Stra it ▁of ▁Mel aka ▁region