Kelantanese Malays form 94% of Kelantan's population, which makes them the largest ethnic group in Kelantan (other ethnic groups also lives in the state such as Kelantanese Chinese and Peranakans, Siamese, Tamils, Temiars and others) and around 150,000 in Besut, Terengganu.

First, the geolocation of the cradle of Kelantanese in the northeast of the Malaysian peninsula, separated by Titiwangsa mountain range, accounted for their limited links to the Indonesian Archipelago.

The other explanation is that the sub-ethnic group might be an admixture with the Indian population in ancient times during the early existence of the Malays.

Kelantanese Malay has its own regional dialects but still mutually intelligible to one another, it is also spoken natively in Besut and Setiu (Terengganu) and similar varieties can be found in neighbouring Perak and Kedah but the latter two are considered variants of Pattani dialects instead of Kelantanese.

Due to their historic and geographic location, it also has considerable influences from Indian, Thai and even Cham cultures, especially during Hindu-Buddhist times.