This is gonna sound weird but I have notice a lot of pheotypical overlap between many SE Asians like Malays, Indonesians, Cambodians, Pinoys and even Thais and Sub Saharan Africans especailly West Africans/Bantus and the Khoisan Bushmen (although they are genetcally very divergent and distinct from other Africans).
We already know that the Khoisan can look really Mongoloid-like so I wanted to focus on West Africans/Bantus instead.
There are many similar features that both SE Asians and Africans seem to share such as flatter nose, round or broader face, big lips, prognathism, very little to none facial hair not to mentioned the browner skin (some SE Asians can get really dark brown). If you get rid of the dark skin and kinky hair, I feel you will see the overlap even more.
For example: I can easily see this Indonesian footballer pass as a West African or Bantu from Cameroon or Uganda if someone gives him black skin and kinky hair:
Another pic of him:
Not gonna lie but I have seen Nigerians, Ghanaians and some Tanzanians who phenotypically look like him.
Furthermore, I think these Malays can pass easily as West Africans or Bantus from Central and East Africa if you give them literal dark as night skin and pube hair. They look pseudo Bantuid or even Sudanid to me.
Guy on the right with black cap
He might pass as some type of East African or atypical Fulani if you give him dark skin
At the same time, I have seen many Africans with Mongoloid or SE Asian-like phenotypes due to their round face, wide broad nose and weak facial hair growth. If you ignore their dark skin, you can easily see the facial similarities to Mongoloids including SE Asians.
1. Nigerian musical artist
2. Another musical artist from Nigeria
Same guy
3. Politician from Kenya (Ethnic Maasai)
Same guy
4. Model from Tanzania
6. Politician from Tanzania
Video of him to see more clearly:
7. Former President of Tanzania:
8. Music artist from South Africa
9. Politician from South Africa:
Another pic where I think he also looks Mongoloid-influenced:
11. Member of a Nilotic tribe from Nuba Mountains, Sudan
11. Maasai girl from Kenya:
Melanesians and negritoes were the first inhabitant of south east asia before us.
You think the ancestry from these groups is the main reason why some modern predominantly Mongoloid SE Asians look similar to Sub Saharan Africans?