(in SE Asia) the ordinary people, especially when considered in relation to the government.
Example sentencesExamples
- Anwar may be the champion of the rakyat.
- When UMNO's supreme council ruled recently that there should be no contest for top posts, the rakyat began to compare their avenues of expression with those of party members.
- Aren't those people's representatives supposed to strive for the best interests and the welfare of the rakyat, the citizenry?