Kedahan Malays

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Kedahan Malays

Oghang Utagha / Melayu Kedah ملايو ﻗﺪﺡ‎
A group of Malay band and dancers with painted faces in Kuala Muda, Kedah, 1905.
Total population
3.1 million
Regions with significant populations
Malaysia (Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Northern Perak)  Thailand (western part of Southern Thailand)  Indonesia (Langkat regency in North Sumatra)  Myanmar (Southern Myanmar)
Languages
Kedah Malay (native), Malaysian, Thai, Burmese, Indonesian, English
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Other Malaysian Malays, Satun Malays, Burmese Malays, Kensiu, Jahai

Kedahan Malays (Malay: Melayu Kedah, Jawi: ملايو ﻗﺪﺡ‎) or commonly known as Orang Utara ('Northerners'), are a sub-group of Malays native to northern Malay Peninsula in areas of both current and historical area of Kedah (which is now divided into the modern states of Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar). They are among the oldest ethnic groups in the Malay peninsula with a history dating back 2,800 years as proven by the discovery of sites in Bujang Valley and historical documents from India, China and Arabia. Kedahan Malays are one of the largest Malay sub-groups in Malaysia, comprising at least 15% of the total Malaysian Malay population including those with Kedahan ancestry.