Malaysia

Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo.
It's known for its beaches, rainforests and mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultural
influences.

Capital: Kuala Lumpur

Population: 31.53 million (2018)

Currency: Malaysian ringgit

Malay

Men: The traditional attire of Malay men is called baju melayu, which is a loose tunic paired with
trousers and a sarong which is known as sampin. Men also wear the traditional hat, called songkok or
kopiah with it.

Women: The ancient traditional dress for Malay women was kemban, which included sarongs tied
above the chest. The current traditional dress for women is baju kurung, which comprises of a knee-
length, full-sleeved blouse and a long skirt called kain.

Chinese

Men: Although rare, Chinese men in Malaysia wear their traditional dress called tang suit. Tang suit is a
type of jacket that has a collar and a knot at the belly and is mostly floral.

Women: Chinese women in Malaysia wear cheongsam (means ‘long dress’) during festivals and formal
events. Cheongsam, also called qipao, is a silk one piece dress with a collar and clasps at the waist,
either in the centre or on the side.

Indians
Men: Indian men in Malaysia wear kurta-pyjama, dhoti-kurta or lungi-kurta. Kurta is typically a knee
length shirt.

Women: Most Indian women in Malaysia wear saree and blouse. Sari is a six yard piece of cloth, draped
around the body in a way that it looks like a skirt with pleats in the centre and part of the same cloth
covers one shoulder and hangs below till the knees.

1. Thaipusam (late January/ early February)

Thaipusam commemorates Murugan defeating an evil spirit called Soorapadman.

2. Chinese New Year (February)

Chinese New Year is the largest Chinese Festival in Malaysia. During the event, you’ll see lion and dragon
dances around the city, which involve people dressing in costumes to perform ritualist dances for good
luck and to chase evil spirits away.

3. Wesak Day (May)

Malaysian Buddhists celebrate Wesak Day, or Buddha’s Birthday, on Sunday closest to the May’s full
moon. The goal of one of the most important religious celebrations in the Buddhist world is to honour
Gautama's birth, enlightenment and death.

4. Kaamatan Harvest Festival in Sabah (30th and 31st May)

Sabah’s most significant cultural event takes place annually on the 30th and 31st May. The Kaamatan
Harvest Festival is an ancient pagan celebration to honour the successful harvest by the ethnic Kadazan-
Dusun, a tradition that dates back centuries.

5. Gawai Harvest Festival (1st and 2nd June)

Gawai is Sarawak’s version of the Harvest Festival. Indigenous groups including the Bidayuh, Murut,
Kayan and Iban take part in one of the state’s largest and most popular festivals.

6. Eid (Hari Raya Aidilfitri, June)

Eid is the largest celebration in the Islamic world. Hari Raya doesn’t have a fixed date each year. Instead,
religious experts determine the time based on the lunar Hijri month.