Page 25 - The Guide To Malaysia 9th Edition
P. 25
THE GUIDE TO MALAYSIA 21
Every state in Peninsular Malaysia has its own time-honoured style of Malay kampung house architecture. These superb watercolours by Osman Akbar Long showcase traditional village homes (left), Selangor and (right) Melaka.
Malaysian diversity and includes woodcarvings, ceramics, beadwork, metalwork (pewter, brassware and the Malay keris or ornamental dagger), basketry, textiles (batik, kain songket, and the Iban pua kumbu from Sarawak), intricately decorated giant kites (wau bulan), and spinning tops (gasing). Traditional motifs and materials
are also reflected in Malaysian fashion; kebayas, cheongsams and saris
are given a modern twist, while modern fashions
take advantage of ethnic designs and natural materials.
The multi-cultural heritage has given birth to dance, music, theatre, storytelling and other performing art forms unique to Malaysia, including wayang kulit (shadow puppetry), mak yong (dance drama) and the traditional dances of Sabah and Sarawak. Many modern performers have
borrowed from traditional styles to create remarkable new music, dance, drama and literature forms that are gaining worldwide recognition.
Festival & Events
Due to its wide variety
of cultures and religions, Malaysia celebrates
many festivals, the most important of which are Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Malay/ Muslim), Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Thaipusam (Hindu), Christmas, Gawai Dayak (harvest festival, Sarawak) and Kaamatan (harvest festival, Sabah). Many other major festivals take place throughout the year during which people practice the Malaysian tradition of “open house”, inviting anyone and everyone into their homes to enjoy traditional food and warm hospitality.
There are also frequent pop, rock, folk and jazz concerts by famous local and international artists and classical
concerts and recitals
by the internationally renowned Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Music festivals such as the Rainforest World Music Festival (Kuching, Sarawak), the Penang World Music Festival,
the Kuala Lumpur Jazz Festival, the Borneo Jazz Festival (Miri, Sarawak) and the Tiger Asian Music Festival (Kuala Lumpur) create opportunities for celebration throughout the year.
On a sporting note, the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) is held annually at the Sepang International Circuit and the Tour de Langkawi, held early in the year, is a major international cycling road race and part of the UCI Asian Tour. The Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta and the Royal Langkawi International Regatta provide world- class yacht racing, the Sarawak Regatta and
the Penang Dragon