1. Food

Made by rice with addition one of boiled egg, a few slices of cucumber, anchovy condiment, and peanuts. Its usually served at breakfast with a drink called teh tarik.

Nasi goreng kampung;

Made by rice, a green pepper, onion, garlic, anchovy, and kangkung vegetable. Can be served while breakfast, lunch, and dinner time.

Kuih Goreng Pisang;

Made by banana that has been slice into a few pieces, flour, water, sugar, and cooking oil. Usually, served in the evening as a light snack.

Lemang;

Made by glutinous rice, bamboo, coconut milk, and banana leaf. This food can be seen on Aidilfitri celebration. It’s served with other recipe called rendang.

2. Clothes

Baju Batik;

This clothes can be worn both men and women. It has usually been used for work, official events, and celebration like a national day.

Baju Melayu;

This clothes can only be worn by men. It has usually been used for an official event, a celebration like Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Aidiladha, and prayer for Muslim people.  

 Baju Kebaya;

Can only be used by women. Usually can be seen on wedding events, celebration, and at the office.

 Kain Songket ;

Only for women. It can be seen on a celebration like national days when a female dancer wearing this clothes and perform the Malay traditional dance.

3. Celebration

Hari Raya Aidilfitri;

Celebrated by a Malay Muslim people after one-month fasting. This is where all people will back to their home village to celebrate together with all families and friends. Also, food like lemang can be seen at this celebration.

Hari Raya Aidiladha / Haji;

Also been celebrated by a Malay Muslim people. This time, animal-like cow and goat will be sacrificed as a sign for gratitude to God. The sacrificed animal will be divided to other poor people as a charity.

 4. Famous story

Si Tenggang

 Once upon a time, there’s a village boy that lives in a tiny village near the beach. The boy called, si Tenggang. Si Tenggang lives with his mother. They’re poor and live in a hard way of life. Si Tenggang likes to eat goreng pisang made by his mother.

Time passes by, si Tenggang has grown up as a handsome young man. In the age of 18, si Tenggang works with a ship captain that landed on their beach. The ship captain like si Tenggang because he’s a hard-working person.

The ship captain invites si Tenggang to set sail with him to the sea. Si Tenggang interested with the offer and tell his mother about it.

Si Tenggang’s mom agreed to let him follow the ship captain, but she felt sad because, if he went out to the sea, she will live alone…

It’s already been 7 years since si Tenggang left his own village, and the rumor spread out when si Tenggang now is a rich man and have a beautiful wife. He now landed to his home village. Si Tenggang’s mom feel very happy because she now can see his own son.

She cooked si Tenggang favorite food called goreng pisang and brought it to his ship. When si Tenggang’s mother arrives on the ship, she called him. But si Tenggang feels a shame to see his mother in a poor appearance in front of his wife and not admitted that she is his own mother.

Not just that, he kicks his own mother out of the ship. Si Tenggang’s mother felt really sad and crying. Heartbreaking with si Tenggang attitude that has changed, she requested to the GOD to turned si Tenggang and his entire ship into a stone.

There were storms and lightning at that time, and si Tenggang begging to his mother to forgive him, but it’s already too late, and si Tenggang has been turned into a stone, because of his rebellious to his own mother.

5. Children’s game

Gasing

It’s played by wrapped all around the gasing with a rope. At the end of the rope, there’s a knot that must be band into a player finger. After wrapping all the gasing. Player will throw the gasing on the ground and the gasing will spin until it stopped.

6. Verbal/nonverbal communication

Walk in front of older people by walking with half of the body been bent. This is to showing respect to the older people. Kiss hand while shake hand with older people also showing respect.

 7. Values

Sitting cross-legged;

Malay women will be taught to sitting cross-legged to showing polite to other people who see them. It’s not polite if Malay women sit like a man.

Visiting friends/family;

Malay people have been practice to visit their neighbour to strengthen the relationship each of them. It’s also to show that they care about each other.

 8. Fun facts

Silat show in wedding event;

Silat is an old Malay martial arts that have been passed down to each generation. Not just for defend, but can also be used to entertain people. The people who will perform the silat, that called “Pesilat” will perform their show in front of the married couple.

9. Famous place

Kota A Famosa Melaka;

This is the place where Portuguese build their fortress to strengthen their power while conquering the Malay land long ago. This place has been marked as a valuable asset for tourism. There’re a lot of things that you can see while visiting this place.

Langkawi Island;

This island is the place where the legendary women called  “Mahsuri” has been killed because of accused by her mother in law. She jealous by Mahsuri beauty and respectful that she had. Because of that, she accused Mahsuri that she has done a disgraceful act by alone together with another man. The history of Mahsuri in Malay culture has to make Langkawi Island is one of the famous places in Malaysia.

 

Online Malay lessons for kids: dinolingo.com