With reference to the statistics shown in the first post, Malays (50.4%) make up the largest composition of the race in the country, followed by the Chinese (23.7%), the Indigenous people (11%), the Indians (7.1%) and Others (7.8%). Thus, there are at least three different cultures present, with the Malay culture being the most predominant.
According to Tourism Malaysia, Malays practise Islam as their religion, speak Bahasa Melayu, carry out Malay traditions and have ancestors who are also Malays. Some of their traditions include batik designing and wood-carving. A part of the Malay culture consists of the polite mannerisms, celebration of major festivals such as Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji , and also its rich arts heritage. Food such as nasi padang, mee goreng, lontong, satay also make up the Malay culture.
The Malaysian Chinese are mostly descendants of Chinese immigrants who moved to the Peninsula in the 19th century. They are known for being hardworking and possessing business acumen. There are mainly 2 sub-groups who each had its own dialect of the Chinese language, comprising of the Hokkiens, who settled on the northern coast of Penang, and the Cantonese, who lived in the capital city Kuala Lumpur. The Mandarin-speaking faction stayed in the southern state of Johor. The Chinese culture consists of the traditional values of a patriarchal family, having a preference for sons and a strong focus on kinship. An important Chinese festival is the Lunar New Year. Chinese street food that are popular in Malaysia include Penang laksa, Penang char kway teow, lor bak and or chien.
(image credit: travelmalaysiaguide.com)
One interesting fact to note is that the Chinese immigrants, who settled primarily in Malacca, adopted some elements of the Malay culture and also had intermarriages with the Malays. This set forth a new culture - the Peranakan culture. Its practices, beliefs and arts that are a combination of both Malay and Chinese traditions. These Peranakans, are also known as the Babas and Nonyas.
Indians, representing the smallest of the three main ethnic groups, are mostly descendants of Tamil-speaking South Indian immigrants who came to this British-colonised country in a bid to break out the Indian caste system back home. They mainly practise Hinduism. They brought with them some parts of their cultures to the shores of Malaysia such as the beautiful and intricately designed sarees and elaborately-adorned temples. Their spicy cuisine consists of the well-known Indian curry, roti prata, naan, nasi briyani and putu mayam.
There is another group, the Indigenous People which I will focus on in the next blog post.