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Friends of Malaysia |
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Malaysian Customs |
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below are the customs and festivals of Malaysia's many races.
Click on them to learn more:
1. Dowries:
Customary Wedding Gifts |
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| The
dowry, Malaysian style, consists of money, jewellery, rice, sugar and
other food stuffs and furniture for the bridal room. The amount of dowry
varies from time to time as well as from place to place.
For the Malays, the dowry is presented during the "akad nikah" of which the wedding is officiated by the "kathi" or priest. The "hantaran belanja" or the main dowry is magnificiently presented at this ceremony. This kind of dowry usually ranges from M$500 to M$5,000. The "mas kahwin" is the compulsory dowry which is given to the bride before the kathi as a token of faith and love at the akad nikah. For the Chinese-Malaysians, dowry is money presented in a red packet or ang-pow, which ranges from M$200 to M$8,000 in an average wedding. However, if the mother of the bride is still alive, another ang pow called the breast token (leng-boh geen) is a must. This is a token of gratitude for her breast feeding the bride when she was a baby. Among the Chinese, the Nyonya dowry is the most elaborate. The rich Nyonyas would present in a procession with their servants carrying trays of jewellery, wine, dresses and other luxuries, all enticingly decorated so that the guests can look on in amazement. The majority of the Indian-Malaysians pay dowries to the bride, which is usually presented at the engagement. This consists of a set of jewellery, the wedding gown and of course money. At the wedding, the bride will adorn herself with the jewellery given to her. |
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| Dondang
Sayang is a traditional Malaysian form of entertainment where singers
exchange spontaneous Malay quatrains, called "pantun", in a
lighthearted, even humorous manner. Dondang Sayang taken together means
"love song", Dondang which is derived from the word 'dendang'
means 'song'; 'sayang' means 'love' - thus "love song".
Dondang Sayang is accompanied by music form the violin, rebana (drum), tetawak (gong), gendang (drum) and accordian. The violin, rebana and tetawak are a prerequisite for a Dondang Sayang performance while the gendang and accordian are used as support instruments during the interlude for the joget and inang (Malay dances) songs. The female singers wear the Malay kebaya panjang while the male singers are dressed in baju Melayu with a samping (a sarong tied round the waist) and a songkok (fez-like head-dress). A Dondang Sayang preformance usually comprise of two or more singers, male and female, to add flair to the exchange of pantun. it is presented in four parts. It starts with the opening song, then the violin joins in. After this comes the openting pantun, an introductory pantun with various themes. Finally come the exchange of pantun between the singers. |
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| Sabah
is the wealthiest in cultural heritage among the Malaysian states. There
are more than thirty ethnic groups, each having their own customs and
traditions, the most significant and colorful is the Kaamatan. The
festival is celebrated in May by the Kadazan and the Dusun tribe upon
the successful harvesting of rice. And during the celebration, the
thanksgiving ceremony is carried out by the Bobohizan or priestess. It
is a time of all Kadazans to feast and be merry with their local tapai
(rice wine) and dance to the rhythm of the gong.
Every tribe in Sabah has its own traditional dance. The Sumazau is the traditional dance of the Kadazans and is usually performed in traditional costumes called sinuaga and preformed by the Kadazan farmers in a special ceremony to receive the Bambaazon - the spirit of the rice which they believe to be present in their homes. It is also performed during weddings and other occasions, such as welcoming important dignitaries. The Adai-adai is a traditional dance of the Bruneis who live in the costal areas of the Interior Residency of Sabah. The dance reflects the life and activities of the fishermen and those living in the costal areas. Mengigol is a dance preformed by the Rungus tribe from the Kudat district and the dance display the communal lives in longhouses shared by many facilities. The Rungus dance is usually held in honour of the spirits of the departed ones or those who were killed in the battlefields a long time ago. The Limbai is a wedding dance by the Bajaus of Papar to greet the fishing skills of the Bajaus. They also preformed the Kuda Pasir Dance of which the dance was originally preformed in welcoming the returning Bajau warriors who rode horseback. The Dayang Suluk Sulampid dance of the Irranun race is preformed during the full moon and when preforming thanksgiving on the birth of the eldest child. The Bangsa Sungai of Sabah perform the Titikas and Titipak dances to welcome important people and the harvest festival. These dances have been preformed for generations, being part of the lives of Sabahans. Other types of dances include the Magunatip and Mengalang preformed by the Murut tribe, the Mengilok of the Suluh tribe and Sumayau of the Kadazans. |
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| During
the Mongol Dynasty, all the clans in Southern China were heavily
repressed and lived under great fear and suffering. The Hokkien clan was
no exception and were constantly at the mercy of the Mongols who
attacked and hunted the Hokkiens, because of envy or some other
political reason, with the sole purpose of exterminating the clan.
The Hokkiens fled to the Hanan province which was mainly a sugarcane plantation. There, the small group of surviving Hokkiens hid themselves among the sugarcane plants. The pursuing Mongols spent many days trying to locate them but to no avail. On the ninth day, they gave up and went away. The Hokkiens emerged, overjoyed by their good fortune, praising the powers of the Earth and Sky deities and owing gratitude to the sugarcane plants for saving them from destruction. The Hokkiens believe that the sky is a protecting roof over them, the Earth is where they can stand firm and the sugarcane plants their refuge. Thus, in all Hokkien celebrations, the sugarcane plant is given prominence. Hence, the day of their salvation is known as the Ninth Day Festival and is a significant celebration of the Hokkien clan during the elaborate 15-day Chinese New year celebrations. During the Ninth Day Festival, prayers are offered to the Earth and Sky deities and also in honor of the sugarcane plants. Cakes are baked, chickens slaughtered and all members of the family sup together on the ninth night of the Chinese New Year. Usually, a pair of sugarcane plants are used during Hokkien festivities - the pair symbolizing unity, cooperation and strength and the sugarcane as a symbol of harmony and a token which can bring good and sweet results. The very straightness of the sugarcane stem also ensures that the Hokkiens can become a clan of honest and sincere people. |
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| The
matriarchal system of customary law is followed by the majority of
Malays in Negeri Sembilan and to some extent, in Naning (a district in
Malacca).
With its roots in Minangkabau, from where many settlers came from in search of their fortunes, Adat Perpatih takes its name from the person who first practiced it, Datuk Perpatih. History tells of two brothers - Datuk Temeneggong (the elder) and Datuk Perpatih - who were both of the same mother but different father had conflicting ideas and how eventually Minangkabau was finally divided into two lands. The areas were governed under two systems called Adat Temenggong and Adat Perpatih respectively. Under the Adat Perpatih system, the people were divided into four sukus (clans) - Bodi, Caniago, Koto and Pilang - which formed the original Minangkabau sukus where the individual suku shared a common ancestry traced from the matriarchal lineage. According to Adat Perpatih, marriage within a clan is prohibited and whenever a man marries, he is required to live at his wife's place and be part of his wife's suku. According to Adat Perpatih, property
division is under two categories, inherited or acquired property and
generally the following quatrain is applied: Her portion of acquired wealth passes on to her daughters. But if the husband dies, his acquired wealth is left to his surviving wife to be shared among his daughters. |
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|
Deepavali: The Festival Of Lights Celebrated by Indian Malaysians |
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| There
are varied interpretation pertaining to the origin of Deepavali* -
popularly known as the Festival of Lights. However, despite the variance
in interpretations, all bear the same message that Goodwill always
triumphs over Evil. One popular version tells the story about Lord
Krishna's victory over the evil Narakasura. It goes this way:
At one time, the people in a little kingdom in the northern part of India were ruled by a demonic tyrant king names Narakasura. The people lived in fear and were subjected to intense suffering. His every action was unquestioned - he plundered, killed, robbed the people of whatever little wealth they had and even carried off young maidens to satisfy his carnal desires. The people lived literally in darkness because Narakasura forbade them to light up their homes at night. The penalty for disobeying this order is death for the entire household. One day, the wicked king decided to expand his kingdom. He successfully ventured into heaven, or Swarga, and to stamp his seal of supremacy, Narakasura forcibly removed the earrings from Aditi Devi, the Mother of the Devas. This act angered the other gods and alarmed by Narakasura's growing notoriety and invincibility, they sought the help of Lord Krishna and his consort, Sathyabhama, who was believed to be the reincarnation of Narakasura's mother, Bhumi Devi. Lord Krishna challenged Narakasura to a fight in a battle of strength. There as a battle royal, each providing to be a match for the other. However, Lord Krishna had an upper hand when he used his most powerful weapon, the Surashnachakra, and beheaded Narakasura. In commemoration of the victory by Lord Krishna, the people in the little kingdom lit up their homes with little oil lamps in and around their house compounds and this practice was adhered to on each anniversary. Thus was born Deepavali. |
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