Malaysian Culture

Specific purpose:

To promote local people and also foreigners from other countries about the culture in Malaysia involving people, events, Malaysian Crafts and Malaysia Food.

Central idea:

By exposing the culture in Malaysia, it will encourage foreigners to come to Malaysia and also implement the government encouragement towards Visit Malaysia 2007.

Introduction

Culture can be defined as the collection of value, belief, behavior, customs and attitudes that distinguish one society from another. A society’s culture determines the rule that govern how firms operate in the society.

Characteristic of culture

1) Learned behavior

Culture reflects learned behavior that transmitted from one member of society to another. Some elements of culture are transmitted intergenerationally, as when parents teach their children table manner. Other example is a children gesture when they want shows their respect to old people.

2) Interrelated

For example when we talk about Malaysia, we know that we are a part of country which are the majority of the people are Islamic people. Global example, Japan’s group-oriented, hierarchical society stresses harmony and loyalty, which has historically translated into lifetime employment and minimal job switching.

3) Share

Culture is share by members of the society and indeed defines the membership of the society. Individuals who share a culture are members of the society; those who do not are outside the boundaries of the society

Importance term in culture

1) Language

As we know, language is the most importance subject in order to develop one community in every country in the world. Malaysia is one of the countries that have unique culture in term of language. It is because Malaysia has differences races among the community who are living harmony and peaceful. For example, we have Malay races as majority compare to other races. Other races such as Chinese and Indian also live in Malaysian country. All the races have their own language. Malay for example has Malay language as the common language when they want to communicate among them. It same also with Chinese, they have mandarin language to be used when they want to communicate among them. But Malay language is most common language in Malaysia because all races know how to speak and use this type of language.

2) Communication

Communication can be referring to verbal and nonverbal communication. Verbal communication is when someone success in sending the message or information by speak whether using face to face communication or not. It is different to nonverbal communication. It happened when member of society communicate with each other using more than words. This nonverbal communication includes facial expression, hand gesture, eye contact, body positioning and body posture. For example Malaysian people are very familiar with the words ‘smile give thousand meaning’. Smile without say any words is a part of facial expressions. It can give either positive or negative meaning. Positive meaning means someone smiles to other people just want to show that they are friendly or respect to other people. But it is contrast in the negative meaning. Negative means someone smile to other people because they want to do crime to other people.

3) Religion

There are three main people groups in Malaysia: Malays, Indians and Chinese. Many Chinese are Buddhist; many Indians are Hindu, but some are Muslim and Malays are
officially Muslim. The following is a brief description of these religions.

Buddhism

Buddhists believe there are only good and evil people. Buddhism stresses the value and dignity of individuals. The serious Buddhist may follow many commands which could include: do not steal, destroy life, commit adultery, lie, get drunk, eat in the afternoon, and watch dancing, singing or plays, sleep in luxurious beds or accept silver or gold. Buddhists believe life is very real; it is real suffering. Buddhists believe humans must save themselves; they can expect no help from God. Buddha did not believe that people have souls: Buddhists see Jesus as a great teacher. They have no problem with His claims to be God in the flesh because they see everyone as God in the flesh, or containing some sort of potential divinity.

Hinduism

Hindus believe Brahman, Vishnu and Shiva are three parts of the “force” God: one creating, one preserving and one destroying. Hindus believe life is an illusion, meaningless. Hindus believe that each person has a portion of the god-force. Hindus see Jesus as a great teacher.

Islam

The religion of Islam came into being about 600 years after the resurrection of Christ. Islam is a mixture of ideas from Judaism and Christianity. Muslims believe in one God, Allah. They don’t believe Jesus was God come to earth. They call Jesus Christ a prophet and believe he was able to escape death on the cross by substituting Judas (in disguise) at the last minute. Many of the events in the Koran are taken from the Old Testament, though the facts have been altered from the Biblical accounts. Islam teaches that getting to heaven involves following the regulations laid down by the prophet Mohammed. These are mostly prescribed actions that must be followed. They include: praying to Allah five times a day, fasting, helping the needy and making an once-in-a-lifetime journey to the holy city of Mecca.



4) Value and attitudes

Value can be define as belief about what is right and wrong and what is importance in live. Value can be generated or it will come personally from human itself. Personal value will give positive site whether t the owner or people around them. Attitude means the way that you think and feel about or the way that you behave towards. When this two element combine, it will give positive result. For example people in Malaysia most of them have their own attitudes and value. When doing a job, some of them a really focus and punctual about what they was doing but in negative site, some of them are very lazy in doing their. It show the differences between the personal value and the value that we must generate in order to achieve good result.



Malaysian People

Malay

The Malay is Malaysia's largest ethnic group, accounting for over half the population and the national language. With the oldest indigenous peoples they form a group called bumiputera, which translates as "sons" or "princes of the soil." Almost all Malays are Muslims, though Islam here is less extreme than in the Middle East. Traditional Malay culture centers on the kampung, or village, though today one is just as likely to find Malays in the cities.

Chinese

The Chinese traded with Malaysia for centuries, then settled in number during the 19th century when word of riches in the Nanyang, or "South Seas," spread across China. Though perhaps a stereotype, the Chinese are regarded as Malaysia's businessmen, having succeeded in many industries. When they first arrived, however, Chinese often worked the most grueling jobs like tin mining and railway construction. Most Chinese are Tao Buddhist and retain strong ties to their ancestral homeland. They form about 35 percent of the population.

Indians

Indians had been visiting Malaysia for over 2,000 years, but did not settle en masse until the 19th century. Most came from South India, fleeing a poor economy. Arriving in Malaysia, many worked as rubber tappers, while others built the infrastructure or worked as administrators and small businessmen. Today ten percent of Malaysia is Indian. Their culture -- with it's exquisite Hindu temples, cuisine, and colorful garments -- is visible throughout the land.

Tribal People

The oldest inhabitants of Malaysia are its tribal peoples. They account for about 5 percent of the total population, and represent a majority in Sarawak and Sabah. Though Malaysia's tribal people prefer to be categorized by their individual tribes, peninsular Malaysia blankets them under the term Orang Asli, or "Original People." In Sarawak, the dominant tribal groups are the Dayak, who typically live in longhouses and are either Iban (Sea Dayak) or Bidayuh (land Dayak). In Sabah, most tribes fall under the term Kadazan. All of Malaysia's tribal people generally share a strong spiritual tie to the rain forest.


Events

Hari Raya Puasa

The major Islamic events are connected with Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. The major Malaysian festival is Hari Raya Puasa, which marks the end of Ramadan with three days of joyful celebrations. Hari Raya Haji marks the successful completion of the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) with a two-day feast of cakes and sweets.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, in January or February, is welcomed in with dances, parades and much good cheer.

Thaipusam

The festival of Thaipusam in late January is one of the most dramatic Hindu festivals (now banned in India) during which devotees honour Lord Subramaniam with acts of amazing masochism - definitely not for the squeamish. In KL, devotees march to nearby Batu Caves; in Penang, the event is celebrated at the Waterfall Temple.

Tamu Besar

The Kota Belud Tamu Besar is a huge tribal gathering held in May at Kota Belud near Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. It includes a massive market, traditional ceremonies, ornately decorated horsemen, medicine men and tribal handicrafts. A smaller tamu is held in Kota Belud every Sunday if you're not visiting during May.

Wayang Kulit (Shadow Play)

Wayang Kulit is a traditional theater art-form using puppets and shadow-play to tell the epic tales of the Ramayana. The puppets are made of buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks. There may be as many as 45 puppets - handled entirely by a single master puppeteer, known as the Tok Dalang.



Maggagong (Gong Ensembles)

Brass or bronze gong ensembles form an inherent part of Sabah's ethnic music. The melody varies from district to district. The Kadazan Dusun group include six songs and a drum called the sopogogungan (Penampang) in their musical composition while the Bajau from Kota Belud add kulintangan, a set of kettle-bedded gongs.

Bunga Malai (Garland Making)

Flowers form an integral part of the cultural heritage of Malaysian Indians for religious occasions, weddings, moving house, or welcoming an important guest. Flowers, holy basil, and the leaves of the margosa or mango tree are strung together to form a malai or garland. They are done in different styles to suit each particular occasion.

Sumpit (Blow Pipe)

The tribal people of Sarawak are known for their magnificent hunting skills. They are aided by the sumpit, a six-foot long wooden blowpipe with a poisoned or a barbed tip. One quick puff sends the dart (sometimes twenty-yards away) to the victim, usually a wild pig, deer, or bird.

Silat (The Malay Art of Self defense)

Silat, the Malay art of self-defense combines a series of supple movements, which enables a person to defend himself under provocation. The aim of silat is to instill confidence in oneself in the face of adversity. Occasionally, a keris (small dagger) may be used.


Malaysian Crafts

Batik

Hindu traders first brought batik to Malaysia eons ago, and the art of dying fabric has been an established tradition for centuries. Designs are first sketched out on cloth, and then blocked off with wax outlines. They are then painted and later sealed with TK.

Kite Making

Kites, called waus, are painstakingly designed and crafted in vibrant colors and patterns. Intricate floral cutouts are pasted on, building up the design until the kite is ready for the bright paper tassels that complete its decoration. Kite construction is an ancient art passed down from the nobles of the Melakan court.

Pewter Making

Having the world's largest reserves of tin, it seems appropriate enough that Malaysia also produces what is widely regarded as the world's finest pewter. Most of it is produced at the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory, which lies just outside of Kuala Lumpur. The factory was founded in 1885 by Yoon Koon, a Chinese artisan who crafted objects only for the aristocracy. Today Royal Selangor is the largest single manufacturer of fine pewter in the world, and and it is still run by Koon's third-generation descendants. The factory gives a full tour of the production floor, and visitors to the gift shop have the privilege of buying any of the items duty-free.

Weaving

The jungle provides an abundance of ideal materials for Malaysia's many types of weaving. The thorny vines of the rattan tree, for example, are worked and woven into comfortable chairs and tables -- unique furniture that was so popular with the English that it could be seen in the parlors of just about every British resident. The strong and versatile fronds of the sago palm are also superbly suited for crafting. In Borneo, the sago is dyed and woven into beautiful and distinctly patterned jewelry, baskets, hats, floor mats, and more.

Wood Carving

On both the peninsula and in Borneo, wood carving reaches an astounding level of intricacy. What is truly special about this art form in Malaysia is that all of her cultures have perfected it. You see it everywhere: in the delightful porticos of Malay houses, in the roofs and altars Chinese and Hindu temples, on the prows of colorful fishing boats, and in the burial poles and masks of Sarawak.

The Art of Making Kris

A kris is can only be made by an empu, a revered artisan who is also endowed with magical powers. Once an empu selects a day to begin the task, he fasts and prays, warding off evil spirits and wining the favors of the demit, or good genies.To forge a kris blade, the empu alternates one layer of steel with two layers of special iron extracted from a meteorite. This is necessary for the pamor, or silvery marbling of the blade. The layers are forged together and flattened. To obtain a particular pamor, the empu twists the two halves of the steel bar separately. This is repeated as many times it takes to get the desired effect. The sequence of layering, bending, beating and forging forms a number of layers. Generally, a good kris has 64 layers of iron and pamor. It is said that some have thousands.


Food in Malaysia

Malaysia has many kinds of restaurants almost everywhere in the cities and towns. There are Malay Restaurants, Chinese restaurants, Indian Restaurants, Thai Restaurants and more. Eating out in Malaysia is a real gastronomic adventure. There is such a great variety; spicy Malay Food, a seemingly endless variety of Chinese food, exotic cuisine from North and South India, as well as Nyonya and Portuguese Food. Popular Malaysian dishes include satay, nasi lemak, rendang, roti canai, murtabak, laksa, chicken rice, and fried noodles. Western cuisine is also easily available. In addition, international fast food chains operate in major towns side by side with thousands of road side stalls and food bazaars.

1) Malay Food

Nasi Dagang

The dish is made by cooking rice and glutinous rice together, to which coconut cream is added once it is cooked. Nasi Dagang is eaten with its own specially made side dishes of tuna fish curry and a light vegetable pickle.

Keropok Lekor / Keping

A popular and the most visible fried snack in Terengganu, the keropok is made of fish meat, ground to a paste, and mixed with sago. Coming in two main different forms, the long chewy ones are called 'lekor', while the thin, crispy ones are called 'keping'. Keropok is best eaten hot with its special chili dip.

Fried Chicken

This is a popular chicken dish. Simply meaning fried chicken, this dish is prepared by first marinating the chicken with various spices like turmeric and curry powder. It is then deep fried in hot oil and served.

2) Chinese Food

Chinese food has its vast array of choices, from Chinese mushroom, steamed bamboo fungi bunches, braised raw gluten, herbs, and many more. Seafood salad - clams, oysters, cuttlefish, prawns, and fish. They are decorated with salad leaves, watermelon, and tomatoes. Tiger prawns are often variously featured - from wok-fried prawns with Mango fan or avocado pearls, to the ever delightful BBQ prawns on sugar cane sticks with spicy apricot sauce. Oysters…more oysters!!! Dishes include fresh oyster au natural, steamed fresh oyster with minced gardec, and baked oyster with Portuguese sauce. Steamed seafood dumplings with shark's fin, steamed soft noodles with shrimps, steamed crabsticks stuffed with fish paste, deep-fried dumplings with salted eggs and red bean paste.



3) Indian Food

Spices are the heart and soul of Indian cooking.

Chapatis

As well as rice, a number of different styles of unleavened, wheat-flour bread are eaten with Indian cuisine. Chutneys, pickles, and relishes are always served to complement and balance the main dishes.

Pappadum Rolls

Pappadums are made from lentil flour and are sometimes flavored with whole cumin seeds. These flat, thin breads are almost always made in factories by skilled workers and are sold all over the world in small, plastic wrapped packets containing about 30 pappadums.

Piquant Chick Peas

Much of the Indian population is vegetarian, and they enjoy the most extensive vegetable dishes in the world. Each region has distinct cooking techniques and flavoring principles for these dishes.

Tandoori Chicken Kebabs

Chicken is highly regarded in India and often served at special occasions. Shop-bought tandoori and vindaloo pastes can be kept tightly closed in the refrigerator for several months.

4) Nyonya Food

Nyonya food, also referred to as Straits Chinese food or Lauk Embok Embok, is an interesting amalgamation of Chinese and Malay dishes thought to have originated from the Peranakan (Straits Chinese) of Malacca over 400 years ago. This was the result of inter-marriages between Chinese immigrants and local Malays, which produced a unique culture. Here, the ladies are called nyonyas and the men babas.

Nyonya Assam Curry Fish

The nyonya assam curry fish is cooked with assam jawa juice, shallots, garlic, lengkuas, buah keras, serai (lemon grass), buah kantan, daun kesom, chili boh, tumeric powder, belacan powder, chicken stock, and sugar. It is best served with steaming hot rice.

Brinjal curry

Brinjal is sliced and seasoned with tumeric powder (serbuk kunyit), dried prawns, roasted belacan (shrimp paste), and other spices. Served with hot rice and garnished with fried onions.

Popiah

The basic ingredients are the same - shredded turnip, carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber, prawns, Chinese Taro, dried onion flakes, and garlic. However, the Nyonya popiah has the addition of a chili and sweet sauce made from palm sugar, wet spices, and a rice flour mixture that gives it a distinct taste. Egg is also added to the batter to give the popiah skin a moist texture.


Recommendation

Malaysia can take advantages in term of economic.

Foreign exchanges – culture can attract more investor to invest inside the country. Reports such as gross domestic product (GDP), employment levels, retail sales, capacity utilization and others, detail the levels of a country's economic growth and health. Generally, the more healthy and robust a country's economy, the better its currency will perform, and the more demand for it there will be.

International business – transfer or expand knowledge about cultural in Malaysia to foreigners. It is a term used to collectively describe topics relating to the operations of firms with interests in several countries. Malaysia can provide exchange of goods and services across international boundaries or territories.

International relation – Malaysia will have effective cooperation and partnership with other countries that can contribute to economic benefits. International relation is the study of foreign affairs and global issues among states within the international system, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). This is the innovative program for Malaysia on responding quickly to changing developments on the national, regional, and world fronts.


Conclusion

Malaysia is a multi-racial country with a rich cultural heritage. The base of the national culture is Malay culture, which is native to this region. Islamic values are embedded in Malay Culture. The Malay culture emphasizes values on courtesy, moderation, tolerance, harmony and cordial relations among family members, neighbours and community. As Malaysian respect each other's beliefs and faiths, cultural and religious festivals such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas, Gawai Day and other auspicious occasions are given due importance. One of the unique features of Malaysia is its multi-racial population which practises various religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity. Each ethnic group has its own beliefs. Under the Federal Constitution, Islam is the official religion of Malaysia but there is freedom of worship. The Malay Language is the national language of the country. However, the people are free to use their mother tongue and other languages. English as the second language is widely used in business. Nowadays, Malaysia as a multi-racial country must show good nationality to encourage foreigners to come and have attraction for making investment. Different culture in Malaysia can give opportunity to the country to get much benefit from it. Although Malaysia's different cultural traditions are frequently maintained by seemingly self-contained ethnic communities, all of Malaysia's communities open their doors to members of other cultures during a religious festival to tourists as well as neighbours.



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Ricky W.Griffin, Michael W.Pustay (2005).International Business. Pearson Education, Inc, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458.


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