Culture of Malaysia

Malaysia is rightly described as "Asia in miniature" which can be seen from its multi–ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual society. It serves as a crossroad of different cultures with their strong influence in the culture of the country. The original culture of Malaysia can be traced back with the indigenous tribes along with the time of Malays’ arrival in the land in ancient times. Chinese and Indian cultures became a part of the culture with the start of trade relations. Other cultures that heavily influenced the culture of Malaysia include Persian, Arabic, and British. Chinese form the second-largest ethnic group and Indian immigrants brought with them the Hindu and Sikh cultures. There is a small community in Malacca which is the descendant of former Portuguese colonists. They have adopted Malay culture while they speak their own language and are Catholics.

People of Malaysia love of carving, weaving and silversmithing and the traditional art is displayed by handwoven baskets and silverwork of the Malay courts apart from ornamental kris and beetle nut sets. Indigenous East Malaysians are known for their wooden masks. Very recently, Malaysian art has expanded due to Islamic taboos about drawing people and animals were strong until 1950s. Traditional Jewelry was made from gold and silver adorned with gems. Earthenware has been developed in many areas and Perak is famous for this art work. The architecture of Malaysia is a fusion of many styles ranging from Islamic and Chinese styles to those brought by European colonists. Houses in the north bear similarity to those in Thailand, while the houses in the south are similar to those in Java. Europeans brought in materials such as glass and nails, which changed the architectural figure later.

With great influence from India, China, Thailand, and Indonesia, the traditional music and performing arts of Malaysia is originated in the Kelantan-Pattani region. Percussion instruments form the main part of traditional music with gendang (drum) being the most important. Other instruments include the rebab (a bowed string instrument), the serunai, the seruling (flute), and trumpets. Music is traditionally used for storytelling, celebrating life-cycle events, and at annual events such as the harvest. Each ethnic group has distinct performing arts and a form of performing art called mak yong is strong in the Kelantan state. Malay traditional dances include joget melayu and zapin. In recent years, dikir barat has grown in popularity, and it is actively promoted by state governments as a cultural icon. Silat is another popular Malay martial art and dance form along with Wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre) based on traditional stories especially Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

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