▁War ▁II , ▁Bang ka ▁Island ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁Japanese ▁troops . ▁Although ▁the ▁occupation ▁of ▁P ang kal ▁Pin ang ▁was ▁brief , ▁short ages ▁of ▁food ▁and ▁cl othing ▁were ▁severe . ▁ ▁Independent ▁Indones ia ▁After ▁Japan ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁the ▁Al lies ▁and ▁the ▁Indones ia ▁proc laimed ▁its ▁independence , ▁P ang kal pin ang ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁Indones ia . ▁( initial ly ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁South ▁Sum atra ). ▁After ▁the ▁country ' s ▁political ▁landscape ▁changed , ▁Bang ka ▁Bel itung ▁Islands ▁were ▁separated ▁from ▁South ▁Sum atra ▁and ▁combined ▁as ▁a ▁province ▁with ▁P ang kal pin ang ▁its ▁capital . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁P ang kal pin ang ' s ▁population ▁was ▁ 1 0 8 , 4 1 1 ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁and ▁ 1 7 4 , 8 3 8 ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census . ▁Half ▁are ▁Mal ay , ▁and ▁primarily ▁speak ▁Bang ka ▁Mal ay . ▁The ▁remainder ▁are ▁Chinese , ▁descend ants ▁of ▁ 1 8 th - century ▁em igr ants ▁from ▁Gu ang d ong ▁province . ▁Loc ally ▁known ▁as ▁Per an ak an ▁( Children ▁of ▁the ▁Ind ies ), ▁they ▁primarily ▁speak ▁H ak ka ; ▁a ▁small ▁community ▁speak s ▁C anton ese . ▁Their ▁end onym ▁is ▁Th ong ▁N gin ▁( ), ▁and ▁other ▁Malays ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁F an ▁N gin ▁( ). ▁ ▁Islam ▁is