Palembang people, also called Palembang Malay are an ethnic group native to the city of Palembang and its surrounding areas in the South Sumatra province of Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Southeast Asia, with a history dating back to the 7th century when it was the capital of the ancient Srivijaya Empire, a powerful Hindu-Buddhist maritime kingdom and empire that controlled much of the trade in the region.