Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Malaysian Culture (people)


Malaysian Culture: People
Malaysia is a country that is known for its rich and cultural heritage. Here, people strongly believe in respecting each other’s culture and religion. Here, one can find a good mix of Malay, Chinese and even Indian communities. The Malay people cover more than half of the population of Malaysia. As per the laws of the Malaysian Constitution, all Malays are basically Muslims and one can get a glimpse of the traditional Malay culture in the village areas.

The Malaysian culture also includes the Chinese and they were known to have adopted the Malaysian culture since the ancient days. With the practice of intermixed marriages there emerged a whole new group where the males were called as the babas and the females were known as the nyonyas. The Chinese therefore are the second largest group out here.

The Indians are the third largest group of people that form a major part of the Malaysian culture. The Indians had always visited Malaysia since the ancient days.

Thus we see how different races have formed a part of the culture of Malaysia. The unity in diversity can be seen in the celebration of various festivals by all races in Malaysia. Apart from this, there are also certain tribes that form the oldest inhabitants of Malaysia. This forms to be at least 5 percent of the total population.


Malaysian Culture: Lifestyle
The Malaysian culture shows a lot of modern influences that is seen in the western culture today. Today, we can see many influences even in the native families, which speak the English language and follow a modern culture. This does not mean that the Malaysians do not follow their customs and traditions. Today, young girls still use a piece of cloth that covers their head which is called as Tudung. Family values forms still have a strong foothold in the culture of Malaysia.


Malaysian Culture: Art and Handicrafts
A lot of influences can be seen in Malaysian art. External influences have made their presence felt in music, dancing and even literature apart from art. The traditional handicrafts of Malaysia include the textiles which are woven by the Punan tribes, basketwork, woodcarvings, patterned mats etc. The decorative art that belonged to the Malaysian art also includes batik cloth, which is dyed by hand with the help of a special technique.



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