Malay literature, a diverse subject, can be clearly divided into 4 main areas of literature:
Poetry (e.g. puisi, pantun, syair and sajak),
Stories (e.g. novels, biographies and autobiography)
Critique (the analysis of the literature)
These for divisions of Malay literature grew from Hindu influenced texts such as the Hikayat Seri Rama and Hikayat Langlang Buana, to Islamic tales such as the Hikayat Iskandar Dzulkarnain, the Hikayat Amir Hamzah.
It later evolved into classic discussions on the question of Sufism such as the Hujjat al-Siddiq lidaf al-Zindiq by Sheikh Nuruddin Ali Ar-Raniri.
The Malay literature can also be seen through historical texts, for example the Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals) edited by Tun Seri Lanang and the Tuhfat al-Nafis (The Precious Gift) by Raja Ali Haji and Malay romances like the Hikayat Hang Tuah.