CULTUR

-CLOTHES
OF MALAYSIA

E
-FOOD
-MUSIC
INSTRUMENTS
-DANCE
-FESTIVAL
C O H S
L T E
 BAJU
KURUNG

BAJU MELAYU
The baju kurung The traditional attire for
comprises two parts: Malay men is the baju
a blouse and a long melayu
skirt.
w
The outfit can be o m  sampin, or
made with short sarong wrapped
traditional songket or  m e around the hips.
batik fabric e n
n To complete the look,
To complete the the Malay men wear a
outfit, the women cap known as
would usually wear a songkok.
a shawl  
CHEONGSAM

SAMFOO
 adopted a comfortable yet elegant piece of traditional
wear called the cheongsam

often made of shimmering silk with embroidered satin or

other sensual fabrics

The samfoo is another traditional Chinese attire, but it is

usually worn by older and more mature women

there is no particular traditional wear for the men

 The whole sari is Indian men
wrapped around traditionally wear
the body, reaching a kurta and
just under or above trousers during
the navel formal occasions

The women from

Northern India,
however, wear
the salwar kameez,
also known as a
Punjabi suit
 SARI

KURTA
F O OD
 One of the popular food in
Malaysia. Made from marinated
beef or chicken pieces skewered
with wooden sticks and cooked on
a charcoal grill.

Typically served with compressed

The town of Kajang in Selangor is rice cur, onions, cucumber and
famous for it’s satay. Satay Kajang is spice peanut gravy
a term for a style of satay where
the meat chunks is bigger than the
typical satay and the sweet peanut
sauce is served along with the
portion of chili paste
 Spicy meat and coconut milk stew
originated from Minangkabau
people of Indonesia, many of
whom had settled in the state of
Negeri Sembilan

Buffalo meat is the traditional

The addition of kerisik is another
choice for the dish but beef and
distinctively Malaysian touch.
chicken is commonly used in
Rendang is traditionally prepared
restaurant and home cooking.
by Malay community during festival
occasion served with ketupat or
nasi minyak.
 Ayam masak merah was cooked by
frying the pieces of chicken until
golden brown and slowly braised
with tomato sauce

Peas are sometimes added in the

Usually paired with nasi tomato –
rice cooked with tomato sauce or
paste, milk, dried spice and sauté
spice base like garlic, onions and
ginger
dish and it is garnished with
shredded kafir lime leaves as well
as coriander.
 Bean sprouts chicken, Ipoh most
well known dish, consist of
poached or steamed chicken mixed
with blanched bean sprouts in
simple dressing of soy sauce and
sesame oil.

The crunchy and stout texture of

bean sprouts is attribute to the
mineral-rich of local water supplies.
Usually served with Hor Fun Noodle
in chicken broth or with plain rice.

Sometimes the chicken being
dipped in the ice to produce jelly-
like skin finishing upon the
completion of poaching process. In
Malacca the chicken is served ball
shape.
Chicken rice, one of the most
inspired Chinese dishes. Hainanese
chicken rice is the best known
version –prepared with the same
traditional method of Wenchang
chicken, which involved steeping
the entire chicken at sub-boiling
temperature within a master stock
until cooked to ensure the chicken
become moist and tender.
The chicken being chopped and
served with a bowl or a plate of rice
cooked in chicken fat and chicken
stock, along with another bowl of
clear chicken broth and set of dips
and condiments.
 Char Kuey Teow is stir fried rice
noodle with bean sprouts, prawns,
eggs (duck or chicken), chives, and
thin sliced of preserved Chinese
sausages.

Cockles and lardons are once

standard offerings, but mostly
relegated to optional addition due
to changing taste preferences and
Penang-style char kuey teow is the health concerns.
most highly regarded in both
Malaysia as well as abroad.
 Fish head curry –a dish where
Head of fish (usually red fish) is
braised in a thick and spicy curry
gravy with assorted vegetables like
lady’s finger and brinjal.

Can be served with plain rice or

chapatti and roti canai.

Usually eaten with curried
vegetables and pieces of chapatti
are used to wrap around and pick
up each bite of the cooked dish
Chapatti –is Northern Indian
flatbread.
Made from a dough of atta flour
(whole grain durum wheat), salt
and water by rolling the dough out
into discs of approximately twelve
centimeters and browning the both
side of dish using dry tava or frying
pan without oil.
 Pasmbur – a salad od shredded
cucumber, boiled potatoes, fried
bean curd, turnip, bean sprouts,
prawn fritter, spicy fried crab, and
fried octopus.

This Penang mamak speciality is

served with sweet and spicy nut
sauce and variants of this dish are
found in other state as Mamak
rojak.
M C
U S I
INSTRUMENTS
 widely used in a
variety of social
occasions

Commonly
played in large
ensembles

Rhythmic composite
patterns are produced

KOMPANG by overlapping multiple

layers of different
rhythms
May also be called
‘southern fiddle’

First appeared in
China : Tang
Dynasty

SDO instrument

In a small
ERHU
ensemble/large
orchestra
Originating from 18th-century Bridge
the Indian India design
subcontinent

SITAR
 A C
D N E
 MALAY
TRADITIONA
L INANG
 CHINESE
TRADITIONA
L LION
DANCE
 INDIAN
TRADITIONAL
BHARATANARTY
AM
 T I
S V
E A
F L
 HARI RAYA
AIDILFITRI
Hari Raya literally means ‘celebration day’ that marks the
end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of dawn-to-
sunset fasting. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is considered one of the
two most important celebrations for Muslims.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri sees families and friends seeking

forgiveness from each other, visiting ancestors’ graves,
saying prayers at the mosque and visiting relatives and
friends to feast traditional malay delicacies like ketupat,
rendang, satay, lemang and curry. In Malaysia, children are
given token sums of money from their parents or elders.

Many decorations like oil lamps, electrical colourful lamps

and another decoration will be set
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Chinese New Year is most important annual festival for
Chinese and the Chinese communities world wide. Also
known by the name of Lunar New Year or the Spring
Festival. The event is celebrated on the first day of the
Chinese Lunar Calendar. Each year is named after one of
the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac.

Prior to celebrations, homes are cleaned and decorated by

members of the family. Debts are also settled while
offerings and prayers are made. Also, plenty of food is
prepared and new clothes are purchased. Like any other
event, family members from out of town and far away will
come home for the gathering.

A family reunion dinner will be held on the eve of the New

Year. During this time, bad language and any unpleasant or
sensitive topic is strictly discouraged. It’s always best to be
in one’s good behavior and only say good and auspicious
things.
 DEEPAVALI
Deepavali or the Festival of Lights. It is celebrated on the
15th day of Kartika in the Hindu calendar. Deepavali
celebrations can last for about five days.

Hindus traditionally rise early on Deepavali, in the wee

hours of the morning to prepare for the day. First of all,
they take a ritually prescribed herbal oil bath, which is
meant to represent the washing away of one’s past sins. A
family prayer service will then often be held in homes, and
some will also go to a local temple for additional rituals
and acts of worship.

Houses are decorated with colour-paper lanterns and with

“kolam” this time of year. Kolam refers to intricate,
temporary floor designs made out of dyed rice and
colourful powders.