National Culture Policy and other Malaysia Local Custom Tips

National Culture of Malaysia is defined in the "1971 National Culture Policy".
The policy of national culture defines 3 principles as guidelines for 'national culture':

1. The National Culture must be based on the indigenous [Malay] culture
2. Suitable elements from the other cultures may be accepted as part of the national culture
3. Islam is an important component in the moulding of the National Culture.

Leave a Comment

Niah Caves of Sarawak is a place probably has the oldest ever culture of the country. Imagine at 40000 years ago already the Niah Caves peoples started drawing on rock to tell their feelings about the nature. Niah Caves is located approximately 120km south-west of Miri, Sarawak, the Niah Caves at the Niah National Park are about a two-hour drive from the city.

Backpack in Niah Caves

Stone Age Tools

Malaysian Caves

Leave a Comment

Archeological Tips
The earliest evidence of human occupation in Sarawak is a 38,000-year-old skull from the Niah Caves whereas the earliest evidence from the Peninsula is an 11,000-year-old skeleton from Gua Gunung Runtuh in Perak.

The oldest artifacts are Paleolithic stone stools from Kota Tampan, Perak, dated back to 34,000 years ago, while the earliest Borneon artifacts are stone tools from Tingkayu, Sabah produced between 28,000 and 18,000 years ago. Hunter-gatherer lifestyles changed dramatically about 5,000 years ago when they acquired the knowledge of producing polished stone tools and earth ware. Evidence of Neolithic culture can be found either on its own, or at Mesolithic sites, including the Niah caves in Sarawak, Gua Cha in Kelantan and Gua Kechil in Pahang.

Leave a Comment

This is a very special trip, we drove all the way from Penang Island to Bedong then finally to this place called Bujang Valley, photo left is Sing standing in front of the Hindu Candi. This is the earliest Hindu culture 2000 years ago. Hindu Kingdoms 100bc-1400ad. The Bujang Valley Archeological Museum.

From the 4th Century AD up till the 14 Century AD, itwas the oldest centre of international and entreport trade for Malaysia. Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of early Hindu civilization with more than 50 temples or shrines.

Located in Pengkalan Bayang Merbok. Open from 9.30am - 5pm, daily. Admission is Free. See my traveloque of Bujang Valley. How to get there? Take a bus to Lembah Bujang or Bedong, you have to hire a taxi to get there, it's a 15km drive, you pay about RM40 for a trip. The location is just bottom of Gunung Jerai.

This musuem is totally hidden in the jungle. 101 points, 5-star.

Leave a Comment

Photo left is Sing posing with three Buddha Statues inside the Natural History Museum of Kuala Lumpur, these Buddha statues has their history trace back to about 2000 years ago in Malaysia.

Buddhist Influence and Early Tampan culture exist in the paleolithic age of Kota Tampan in Lenggong, Perak state, artifacts made of rocks has been found. Avalokitesvara Buddha statues and the other devices used in worshipping ceremonies discovered in Bidor around 800ad -1100ad. Also discoveries in Kuala Selensing, Perak before the Hindu Buddha Age, with the influence of the Indian culture and Hindu beliefs in this region since the beginning of first century had totally changed the society value system of the people of Malaya. If you visit Perak state, take a visit to Beruas Museum for some of our early Malaysian cultures. This museum in Beruas houses the histories of the ancient kingdom of Gangga Negara, Manjon and the Sultanate of Beruas, see my traveloque of Beruas. Visit Kota Tampan's Archeological Museum for Earliest Tampan Cultures and also very IMPORTANT to visit Kuala Lumpur's Natural History Musuem located just beside Dataran Merdeka for all important early cultures.

Leave a Comment

This photo is taken in Bujang Valley Arceological Museum in Kedah by using my Nikon Camera. This is mentioned by name by the famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim I­Ching, circa 670 AD,(if you can read Chinese) came under the control of the Sumatran kingdom of Sriwijaya before the end of the 7th century.

There do exist a small number of Sanskrit inscriptions from Kedah, west Malaysia, dating from the 5th century AD. Perhaps the most interesting of these are two stelae with superficially engraved stupa. On one of these, brief Sanskrit inscriptions mention a sea captain named Buddhagupta, inhabitant of a place called 'Red Earth'. He was a merchant and also a pious Buddhist.

Leave a Comment

23 km south of Port Dickson. This is one of my best trip South from Kuala Lumpur to Port Dickson again drive a long way along the coast to this place called Pengkalan Kempas, a very tiny town with only one antique Gasoline station Esso.

Pengkalan Kempas (Malay Peninsula, 1467) bear Malay texts still written in script of a type derived from India. In the first years of the 14th century, the Trengganu charter (approximately dated 1303) was written in Jawi script, a new Malay alphabet adapted from Persian. The stones of Minye Tujoh (Aceh, 1380). One of the earliest Malay inscriptions discovered by scholars is in fact a verse in the 'Shair' format found on a tombstone from Minye Tujoh in Acheh dated 1380 A.D. Carved in a mixture of arhaic Sumatran/Malay, Sanskrit and Arabic, the verse records the death of a Muslim Malay princess from a royal household that ruled Kedah on the Malay peninsula and Pasai on the island of Sumatra.

Leave a Comment

The earliest Islamic culture found in Malaysia is the Batu Bersurat about 1400ad (about 600 years ago) 14th Century Islamic Inscriptions on Stone Text translation.

This is an Islamic stone inscription in dicating early Islamic influence. Located near Berang River in Terengganu. Founded 1887 near Kuala Berang. Read more about Inscribed Stone.

Leave a Comment

The Melacca Empire 1400ad. Baba-Nyonya, they came here in the 13-14 century when the Chinese had a trade mission in Melaka, they were peoples of mixed cultures between Chinese and Malay. About 1400ad, the Hindu prince Parameswara ran away with a his followers after attacks by the Majapahit. From Seletar river, Parameswara fled to Muar and later in Melacca. He is the founder of Malacca Empire in year 1402ad. Later he married a Princesss of Pasai and converted to Muslim with Persian title Shah, later he was known as Iskandar Shah. Iskandar is the Malay equivalent for Alexander. From the records of Admiral Cheng Ho's visit to Melaka in 1409 indicate that Parameswara was then the ruler of Malacca Empire... More at Sabri Zain's website

Leave a Comment

Malaysia is a very young and inexperience country, we are still learning from other fully developed countries. In 2002 we are at age 45th, this is also our culture of 45 years.

We are a very peaceful multi-racial country, harmony and friendly. Malaysia Boleh! We also have some Funny cultures in Malaysia today which I haven't experience in other country.

If you observe carfeully, local Malaysians have a habit of walking across street very slowly eventhough there are cars, bikes, buses around. Especially in crowded city areas full of traffics but you can see them mentally-fighting with cars by showing their crossing street skills.

If you don't believe me, try to spend some time in Chow Keat, Bukit Bintang and Petaling street areas. I am not sure what they want to proof but to me they are trying to show that they are able to cross the street slowly, don't worry just enjoy our very unique culture.

Leave a Comment