Culture of Malaysia

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The culture of Malaysia is quite varied, with influences coming in from other South Asian cultures. This story presents a brief overview of Malaysian culture.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Family life is of utmost importance and holds a strong place in Malaysia, a country which boasts of a rich cultural heritage. The nation's population is a healthy mix of Malay, the Chinese, and Indians.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Malaysia also offers you loads of things to do and beautiful sights to see and one can notice that its culture is as beautiful as the place.

Glimpses of the Culture of Malaysia

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. The Malay, Chinese, and the Indians comprise Malaysia's ethnic makeup. The country was a part of the British Empire in the 18th century, and gained independence on August 31, 1957.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Islam is the official religion here; however, the country's constitution protects and promotes the freedom to practice any religion.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. 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 that reside here.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Apart from this, there are also certain tribes that form the oldest inhabitants of Malaysia. They account for about 5 percent of the total population.

Lifestyle

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

Music

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Malaysian music has seen influences from Indonesia, Thailand, India, and China. Yet another genre, the Pop Yeh-Yeh ruled the Malaysian music scenario in from the year 1965 to 1971. Malaysian bands were heavily influenced with bands such as The Scorpians and Def Leppard before the mid 1980s.

The Cuisine

Rice is the main food ingredient in Malaysian cuisine. Rice and noodles are a most favored combination. This cuisine also includes many dishes that use an array of seafood. One can even see an influence of Indian cuisine, with puris, idlis, and even rotis that are a part of breakfast items in Malaysian cuisine.

The Artwork 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 include textiles which are woven by the Punan tribes, basketwork, woodcarvings, patterned mats, etc. The batik cloth, a Malaysian specialty, is dyed by hand with the help of a special technique.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. Thus we can see that the Malay culture is a beautiful amalgamation of various other cultures, with its own unique identity.