Malaysian culture

So I just read Sara Kahunas' interesting post below this. Good job Sara! It particularly impressed me how you were talking for all Malaysians regardless of ethnicity when you mentioned being offended by the add yourself and backing it up with a thought provoking example. (Y)


Anyhow, now that we've shed some light on ethnicity, race and nationality, I think its time to dive into a bit of in depth research on the Malaysian culture.

Dictionary.com defines culture as behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. Googling more on the definition gave me these :

Culture is all these things and much more. In fact, most everything we do is influenced by culture: the way we give and receive information, use time and space, or view authority:

Culture is a framework of behavioral patterns, values, assumptions and experiences shared by a social group,

Culture is a mostly automatically or unconsciously applied orientation system of collective values, which makes its group members’ behavior comprehensible and to a certain degree predictable for each other,

Culture is communication, it impacts how we send and interpret messages,

Culture shapes human conduct within a cultural group,

Culture is something we learn

(http://www.acrosscultures.info/meaning-of-culture.html)

Cultures have been meeting and mixing in Malaysia since the very beginning of its history. The Malaysian culture draws on the varied cultures of the different people of Malaysia. Malaysia has a combined population of over 20 million people. Because of its location between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, Malaysia has traditionally been a meeting place for traders and travelers from the East and West.

As a result, Malaysia has a multicultural and multiracial population consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and numerous indigenous peoples.
Although Malay is the official language, English is widely spoken, especially in business, and the English language is a compulsory subject in all schools.
With such a diverse ethnic composition, it is not surprising that many religions are practiced in Malaysia. The official religion is Islam, but its people are free to observe any religion of their choice. At any place in Malaysia, it is common to see temples, mosques and churches located in close proximity.

http://www.cureontour.com/Malaysia_Culture.html


Here is a direct cut and paste of an article I came across which gives a more clear view of the diverse culture in Malaysia. Its a bit lengthy but its a good read:)

One example of the complexity with which Malaysia's immigrant populations have contributed to the nation's culture as a whole is the history of Chinese immigrants. The first Chinese to settle in the straits, primarily in and around Malacca, gradually adopted elements of Malaysian culture and intermarried with the Malaysian community. Known as babasand nonyas, they eventually produced a synthetic set of practices, beliefs, and arts, combining Malay and Chinese traditions in such a way as to create a new culture. Later Chinese, coming to exploit the tin and rubber booms, have preserved their culture much more meticulously. A city likePenang, for example, can often give one the impression of being in China rather than in Malaysia. 

Another example of Malaysia's extraordinary cultural exchange the Malay wedding ceremony, which incorporates elements of the Hindu traditions of southern India; the bride and groom dress in gorgeous brocades, sit in state, and feed each other yellow rice with hands painted with henna. Muslims have adapted the Chinese custom of giving little red packets of money (ang pau) at festivals to their own needs; the packets given on Muslim holidays are green and have Arab writing on them. 

You can go from a Malaysian kampung to a rubber plantation worked by Indians to Penang's Chinese kongsi and feel you've traveled through three nations. But in cities like Kuala Lumpur, you'll find everyone in a grand melange. In one house, a Chinese opera will be playing on the radio; in another they're preparing for Muslim prayers; in the next, the daughter of the household readies herself for classical Indian dance lessons.  

Perhaps the easiest way to begin to understand the highly complex cultural interaction which is Malaysia is to look at the open door policy maintained during religious festivals. 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 neighbors. Such inclusiveness is more than just a way to break down cultural barriers and foster understanding. It is a positive celebration of a tradition of tolerance that has for millennia formed the basis of Malaysia's progress. 

http://www.geographia.com/malaysia/cultures.html

So anyway the fact sheet is:

Ethnic Groups:
59% Malay and other indigenous race, 32% Chinese and 9% Indian.

Languages:
Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil and other tribal languages.

Religion:
Muslim (primarily Malays), Buddhism (Chinese), Hindu (Indian), Christianity, Taoism and tribal religions.



Last but not least, while Malaysia is a liberal and open society, there are cultural customs  and courtesies to keep in mind

• Handshakes generally suffice for both men and women, although some Muslim ladies may acknowledge an introduction to a gentleman with a nod of her head and smile.
• The traditional greeting of "salam" resembles a handshake with both hands but without the grasp. The man offers both hands, lightly touches the visitor's outstretched hands, and then brings his hands to his chest to mean, "I greet you from my heart". The visitor should reciprocate the "salam".
• Greeting by hugging and kissing is not generally practiced in Malaysia. However this is becoming more common amongst the western educated and young.
• Shoes must be removed when entering a Mosque or an Indian temple. It is also customary to remove one's shoes when entering a Malaysian home.
• The right hand is always used when giving and receiving objects.  Pointing is normally done using the thumb as using the right forefinger is considered rude.

http://www.cureontour.com/Malaysia_Culture.html

http://mthago.com/2010/08/19/racial-unity-lesson-from-my-trip-to-india/

ps- i swear the girl with the bindhi looks like a picture of me when i was little ... -__- no im not indian maldivian. but the resemblance is uncanny dammit!

pps-  Days after writing this post, I happened to stumbleupon this website which basically tells us in detail everything we ought to know about culture. It would definetely be a good source of reference when we write our final report. http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/cb_Culture.html

-Maisha