Happy Pesta Kaamatan & Hari Gawai 2026

Happy Pesta Kaamatan & Hari Gawai!

FYI, Pesta Kaamatan (Sabah) and Hari Gawai (Sarawak) are both indigenous harvest festivals that mark the end of the rice harvesting season. And both share deep roots in agricultural thanksgiving, communal unity, and the preservation of rich cultural heritage of Sabah and Sarawak. 

[Note: Pesta Kaamatan falls on May 30th and 31st annually, while Hari Gawai takes place on June 1st and 2nd every year].

Berjaya Food Berhad posted another loss in the recently-ended quarter as costs and expenses continued to outsize the marginal revenue growth. 

Net loss at the franchisee of the Starbucks coffee chain was RM14.32 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 (3QFY2026), marking their 10th consecutive quarter in the red. 

Still, the loss was smaller than RM37.19 million in 3QFY2025 thanks to cost control and store closures. 

Revenue for the quarter rose 4.9% year-on-year to RM119.14 million, largely driven by their overseas operations.

And of course, Starbucks account for the biggest chunk of Berjaya Food's business, contributing about 80% of group revenue. Therefore, shifts in the coffee chain's performance dictate the financial health of the entire group.

Dayak MP: We Eat Pork

A Sarawakian MP has called on all parties to respect different food choices, voicing his frustration over ongoing criticisms aimed at those who consume pork, including members of his Dayak community.

“Us Dayaks have never insulted the dishes of others, yet there are times we have been labelled as being uncivilised for eating pork. This must be stopped at once. We must show mutual respect for the dishes served by other ethnic groups. If pork has a certain smell associated with it, what about budu and belacan? Yet, we do not make negative comments on (such dishes)”, a government backbencher said when debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.  

Willie Mongin (GPS-Puncak Borneo) emphasised that despite their consumption of pork, many in his community lead upright lives and do not engage in illegal or immoral activities. 

"We don't take bribes, do drugs, or anything weird, but condemned for eating pork", he said, stressing that remarks about the food of other races have no place in a multicultural Malaysia. 

Willie advised Malaysians not to court controversy, but to always uplift unity.

Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan powered into the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Masters badminton tournament with a convincing win over a Taiwanese pair. 

The Malaysian pair, runners-up at both the Indonesia Masters and Indonesia Open last year, needed just 27 minutes to dispatch Taiwan's world No. 32 Lin Xiao Min-Wang Yu Qiao 21-13, 21-12 in the last 16 yesterday.

Kaamatan & Gawai Harvest Festivals 2025

Here's wishing all Sabahans and Sarawakians, “Selamat Pesta Kaamatan, Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan” and “Selamat Hari Gawai, Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai”. 

These celebrations mirror the rich cultural tapestry that is Malaysia.

China's domestically produced C919 aircraft, a rival designed to compete with the best-selling narrow-body models of dominant plane manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, marked its second anniversary of operation on Wednesday. 

According to the Xinhua News Agency, eighteen C919 aircraft have been delivered to China Eastern Airlines, Air China and China Southern Airlines, serving twenty-four routes across sixteen cities and carrying more than 2 million passengers to date. 

As far as I'm concerned, the C919 has demonstrated a strong safety performance and shows steady improvement in metrics like daily utilization, proving its comprehensive operational reliability.

Happy Malaysia Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Malaysia Day!

 

We should do some serious thinking. It’s been 67 years since the Federation of Malaya attained independence from British colonial rule and 61 years since Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore came together to form the Federation of Malaysia. [Singapore, of course, was asked to leave in 1965].

 

Every year those in Peninsular Malaysia celebrate both Merdeka Day on August 31 and Malaysia Day on September 16. Me included.

 

But why do we need to have two National Days? FMT columnist A Kathirasen raises a valid question. Shouldn’t Malaysia Day be National Day as it covers the whole nation? He is suggesting that we should all just celebrate one day, i.e. September 16. Methinks, it merits important consideration.

 

Every Malaysian knows that Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj (left) declared the independence of the Federation of Malaya on August 31, 1957 by shouting “Merdeka” seven times at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. But that was not the only occasion in which he did that.

 

The father of independence also shouted “Merdeka” seven times at the same place when he announced the merging of the Federation of Malaya with Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah to form Malaysia on September 17, 1963, a day after its official founding. The name “Malaysia” only came about after September 16, 1963.

 

August 31 does not have the same significance for Sarawakians and Sabahans as it does for those in the peninsula. Last year, Sabah celebrated August 31 as Sabah Day to mark the day Sabah gained self-governance from British rule, on the road to the formation of Malaysia. However, Sabah Day was only officially gazetted this year. In 2016, Sarawak gazetted July 22 as Sarawak Independence Day and a public holiday – and the state observed the 50th anniversary of Sarawak’s independence from Britain with pomp and ceremony on July 22, 2013.

 

If Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak had been granted independence on the same day – as was initially planned – we would all have only one day of independence to celebrate.

 

But thanks to opposition to the formation of Malaysia by Indonesia and the Philippines, the United Nations decided to send a fact-finding mission to the two Borneo states to ascertain if the people really wanted a Federation of Malaysia, and the formation of Malaysia was pushed to September 16.

 

The existence of a Merdeka Day, Sabah Day, and a Sarawak Day sadly illustrates the reality of the situation: Malaysia is not just divided between East and West by the South China Sea, but also by emotional attachment. 

 

I reckon, it is high time we exercise courage to properly bridge all this "separateness" and "separation" and that we truly become one. 

 

Can we do it, I wonder? Do we want to?

Tapir Turnaround

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sungai Dusun Wildlife Conservation Center in Hulu Selangor, Selangor is leading the charge to safeguard the endangered species through breeding and rehabilitation programs. 

 

Located in the 4,330ha Sungai Dusun wildlife reserve, it is the only semi-wild sanctuary for Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus) in Malaysia. It houses eight tapirs, many of which were rescued after reports of disturbances from the public. 

 

According to Muhd Adli Ahmad (right), who heads its operations, the center aims to care for and treat tapirs to encourage reproduction, with the goal of releasing some back into the wild.

 

“Since 2004, 14 tapirs have been released, comprising both captive-bred and rescued animals”, he said.

 

The center’s veterinarian Dr Donny Yawah (left) is optimistic about the prospects of tapirs bred in captivity at the center surviving in the wild.

 

“Tapirs are a prehistoric animal known for their high adaptability. There is a reason they have survived till now”, he said.

 

The center’s efforts are much needed as tapir numbers are falling in the country. In Malaysia, tapirs are considered an endangered species and protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2020 (Act 716). The species is also listed in Appendix I under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

 

They largely exist within the peninsula’s Central Forest Spine and may live in primary and secondary tropical rainforests. Tapirs are also found in certain parts of Indonesia and Thailand but have gone extinct in Sabah and Sarawak. 

 

These mammals are known to travel up to 4km a day and in the process, spread the seeds of the plants they consume, which helps sustain the ecosystem. However, forest fragmentation due to development and human activities, such as farming, has significantly threatened their habitat and population.

 

Estimates by Perhilitan in 2020 suggest the tapir population has dwindled to between 700 and 800, down from 1,100 to 1,500 in 2013. Recent years have also seen an increase in roadkill incidents, further endangering the species, along with a rise in human-tapir conflicts, from 29 cases in 2018 to 67 in 2021. 

 

The dedicated efforts of the center and Perhilitan personnel highlight the crucial need to do what's necessary to preserve the Malayan tapir, ensuring its survival for future generations. 

 

Note: Though the center is not open to walk-in visitors, those keen on visiting may submit a request to Perhilitan (wildlife.gov.my) for a special permit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

My July 28 post "Pearly-Thinaah Stun World No. 6 Pair in Paris" had referred to the supercomputer prediction made on the Olympic Games Paris 2024. I betted on China to do better than the 68 medals it is anticipated to win. And that I wished for at least 100 medals.

 

Well, China produced mixed results. It did beat the forecasted 68-medal haul but it could only manage 91 medals in total. At least China equaled the US gold medal tally of 40. 

 

Point to note: If Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei (i.e. Taiwan) were to be included, then China's collection of medals would have added up to 44 gold, 27 silver and 31 bronze.

 

Anyway, that aside, this has been Team China's best performance in the Olympic Games held overseas since it began participating in the Summer Olympics in 1984.

 

 

BTW, Malaysia only got 2 bronze medals. Gold remains elusive. 

 

Never mind. There's always the next Olympics. LA 2028.

Happy Kaamatan and Gawai 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To all Sabahans and Sarawakians, Happy Kaamatan and Gawai! 

 

We knew crows were smart but it turns out they can also do math. Well, they can count. 

 

And they do it out loud. 

 

According to a study from the University of Tübingen in Germany which reveals that crows caw as they count, producing a specific and deliberate number of sounds in response to visual and auditory cues. 

 

To be clear, quite a few animals – even honeybees – understand numbers, but counting out loud requires not only that understanding, but purposeful vocal control with the aim of communication. 

 

"Producing a specific number of vocalizations with purpose requires a sophisticated combination of numerical abilities and vocal control", write neuroscientists Diana A Liao, Katharina F Brecht, Lena Veit and Andreas Nieder in a scientific paper titled "Crows 'count' the number of self-generated vocalizations" published in Science, May 23, 2024, Vol. 384, Issue 6698, pp. 874-877. 

 

Numerical ability has been increasingly identified in non-human animals. Animals as diverse as birds and bees have been shown to be able to “count” and they can discriminate among different numbers of objects or between greater or fewer objects. 

 

The researchers tested whether crows, which are known for both their numerical skills and high level of cognition, could use vocalizations to count out loud, a skill that is challenging even for young humans. The crows flexibly produced between one and four vocalizations for corresponding cues associated with numerical values. Furthermore, they used different calls for different numbers.  

 

The researchers trained three carrion crows (Corvus corone) to respond to symbols or audio cues by cawing a specific number of times, between one and four. When the crows were done, they pecked a target to indicate completion. 

 

"The findings suggest that the birds are capable of using a non-symbolic approximate number system, showing a level of vocal control that mirrors the early counting skills of human toddlers", they write.

Sarawak's Wild Durians

I didn't know that durians from Sarawak can be different from those found in Peninsular Malaysia. While Malaysians are familiar with famed varieties like Musang King, Red Prawn and D24, Sarawak boasts its own array of durian species, each flourishing in the wild.

 

And a New Straits Times article "Making sense of Sarawak's wild durians" published Saturday gave me a yummilicious insight!

 

Durian pakan (Durio kutejensis)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found in central and northern Sarawak, durian pakan, locally known as durian nyekak, boasts a yellowish-golden shell and exceptionally soft content. Its sweetness and unique flavour set it apart, making it a must-try for durian aficionados.

 

Durian isu (Durio oxyleanus) 

 

Its small size and appearance invites comparisons to a green sea urchin. Inside, the flesh is a creamy white or grey tinged with yellow. Each section cradles only one or two seeds. 

 

Even when very ripe, it is nearly odorless with a saccharine sweetness that makes it extremely popular among even those who normally dislike durian.

 

Durian isi merah (Durio graviolens)

 

Distinguished by its vibrant red flesh, durian isi merah stands out in local markets during the durian season. 

 

With a mild scent and thick, cheesy, nutty flesh, it's a flavorful encounter for those with an adventurous palate.

 

Durian kulit merah (Durio dulcis)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This durian species is found in the deep jungles of Borneo. It has a bright red exterior with long, extremely sharp spikes and thick skin which makes it difficult to open, so it is usually cut in half. 

 

Although the smell from durian kulit merah can be overwhelming, the content is described as soft and sweet.

 

Durian kura-kura (Durio testudinarum)

 

Literally, 'tortoise durian', it is one of the rarest of edible durian species. 

 

Unlike regular durian, the kura kura durian hangs just about ground level from its tree when it fruits. 

 

It’s presumed that the fruit’s low-lying position gives credence to its name – even a tortoise can reach it. 

 

Its pale yellow to brown flesh is described as light and sweet, offering a unique durian experience.

 

CHOOSING THE PERFECT DURIAN 

 

Selecting the ideal durian requires a keen understanding of sensory cues, a skill often passed down through generations. Here are some valuable tips to ensure a delightful durian experience: 

 

See: Thorns, colour, and stem provide visual clues. Larger thorns indicate fuller flesh, yellowish shells suggest ripeness and thicker stems signal nutrient-rich durians.

 

Smell: Ripe durians emit a rich and fragrant aroma, while unripe ones offer a green, astringent smell. An alcoholic scent indicates overripeness. 

 

Listen: Shaking a durian reveals whether the fruits are rolling inside. A ripe durian should produce a sound akin to a hitting drum.

WSD Speeches On Malaysian Food

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hooray! We've collected another 3 videos for World Speech Day Culture – and these 3 are all from Malaysia.

Anabelle Teh talks about her favorite Malaysian food, i.e. nasi lemak, roti canai and nian gao 年糕 (kuih bakul).

 

Nasi lemak is actually rice cooked in coconut milk that is traditionally served with anchovies, cucumbers, peanuts and boiled eggs, and served together with a spicy chili paste called sambal. It is considered Malaysia’s national dish. 

 

Roti canai is a type of flatbread, usually served with dhal and/or other curries. 

 

Nian gao is a sticky sweet rice cake eaten during the Chinese New Year. A popular dessert made of glutinous rice flour and sugar. 

 

Nian gao is 年糕 in Chinese. The character 年 means ‘year’, and the character 糕 means ‘cake’, which shares the same pronunciation as 高 (gao), meaning ‘tall’ or ‘high’. So, the pronunciation of nian gao sounds like 'year high' (年高) – and so, nian gao symbolizes a high year, an increase in prosperity.  

 

Lim Chien Cian shares about the Chinese celebration of the winter solstice, Dong Zhi (which means “Winter Arrives”) – it welcomes the return of longer days and the corresponding increase in positive energy in the year to come. 

 

Occurring only six weeks before the Chinese New Year, the festival has its own significance for many Chinese people, and is believed to be the day when everyone gets one year older. 

 

An important and auspicious recipe to make during the Winter Solstice is the tang yuan 汤圆, a traditional dessert made of glutinous rice shaped into balls – often brightly colored – that is served in a hot broth or syrup. 

 

The celebration may have begun as a harvest festival, when farmers and fishermen took time off to celebrate with their families. It’s not an official holiday, but remains an occasion for families to join together to celebrate the year that has passed and share good wishes for the year to come.  

 

Nurul Rafidah features three Bidayuh dishes, ikan bakar, bamboo chicken and kurat sisub.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ikan bakar is charcoal-grilled fish. The fish is seasoned with a spice marinade, then wrapped in banana leaves before being laid on a hot grill. Bamboo chicken is, as the name implies, chicken cooked in a bamboo tube. And kurat sisub is a traditional dish of wild mushrooms, chicken and rice. 

 

Incidentally, all three speakers are students at Sunway.

 

#unexpectedvoices #worldspeechday #wsdculturemalaysia

Why Food Commercials Cost So Much

Business Insider visited The Garage at Industry City in Brooklyn, New York, to talk with food design experts Steve Giralt, Brett Kurzweil, production designer Paola Andrea Ramirez, and rigger Matt Huber to learn the immensely wild and creative ways fast food commercials are shot. 

Believe it or not, it takes not a few people, expensive robots, and fancy cameras to bring a fast food commercial to life. But they use real food on set, so they work against the clock to film each take before it starts to wilt.

 

Newly-minted Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim announced yesterday that Sabah's GRS have agreed to join his government, thus giving him a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat. 

On Thursday, Anwar confirmed that his unity government comprised Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional and Gabungan Parti Sarawak, with support from MPs from Muda, Warisan and Parti Bangsa Malaysia.

Clap, clap, clap!!!

Anwar Ibrahim is Malaysia’s Next PM

Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim (left) has been named the country’s 10th prime minister, ending a five-day wait for Malaysians following the divisive 15th general election. 

 

He will be sworn in at 5 PM today at Istana Negara. 

 

In a statement, the Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the decision was made after the special meeting of the Conference of Malay Rulers at 11 AM. He said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had consented to the appointment, which was made in accordance with Article 40(2)(a) and Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution. 

 

The appointment was finalised after the King (right) sought the opinions of the Malay Rulers who convened a special meeting at Istana Negara today to make the best decision for the interests and well-being of the country and the people, he said. 

 

It helped that UMNO are willing to form a unity government with Pakatan Harapan. Their secretary-general Ahmad Maslan announced their decision “to uphold the decree by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for Barisan Nasional to support and be part of a unity government, (and we have decided that this would be one) which is not led by PN, to ensure a stable and prosperous government can be formed” (New Straits Times, November 24, 2022 @ 2:06 AM). 

 

Sarawak's GPS and Sabah's Warisan are similarly expected to throw their support behind this unity government.

World’s Largest Book Published in Texas, USA

In the US, a Texas non-profit and the Bryan Museum in Galveston teamed up to break the Guinness World Record for largest published book with a tome measuring 7 feet tall and 11 feet wide and weighing in at 496 pounds. 

 

Literacy nonprofit iWRITE and The Bryan Museum in Galveston teamed up to create a massive version of the book "I Am Texas", which contains writing and artwork from 1,000 Texas students from third to 12th grades. 

 

Thankfully, the book has smaller versions available for purchase. 

 

Yesterday, in Malaysia, Gabungan Parti Sarawak candidate Anyi Ngau has been declared winner of the Baram parliamentary seat, where polling had been delayed because of bad weather. He secured 18,399 votes, defeating his closest rival Roland Engan of Pakatan Harapan by a 7,339 majority in a three-cornered contest. 

 

GPS have now won 23 seats out of 31 contested. The other Sarawak seats were won by DAP (5), and one each by Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional, and Parti Bangsa Malaysia. 

 

Only one parliamentary seat and one state seat remain in contention after the elections for both seats were postponed due to the deaths of election candidates. 

 

These are the Padang Serai parliamentary seat in Kedah and the Tioman state seat in Pahang. The election for both seats will be held on December 07 instead, while nomination day falls on November 24.

Donald Trump's Twitter Account Is Back

Former US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been reinstated on the platform. 

 

The account, which Twitter banned following the January 06, 2021, attack on the Capitol, was restored after Twitter CEO and new owner Elon Musk posted a poll on Twitter on Friday asking the platform’s users if Trump should be reinstated. 

 

“The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated”, Musk tweeted Saturday. “Vox Populi, Vox Dei”, Latin for “the voice of the people is the voice of God”. 

 

On Saturday, while the poll was still underway, Trump posted a link to it on Truth Social, the Twitter alternative he founded, urging his 4.6 million followers there to vote for him. 

 

But he also wrote: “Don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere. Truth Social is special!” 

 

More than 15 million votes were cast in Musk’s poll – Twitter has 237 million daily users – the final poll results on Saturday night showed 51.8% in favor and 48.2% opposed. 

 

As of 11:30 AM EST (1630 GMT) Sunday, the revived account of the “45th President of the United States of America,” with its blue “verified” checkmark, had not posted any new messages. 

 

The last message dates from January 08, 2021, when the billionaire said he would not attend Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony. 

 

On the same day, Twitter banned the account, which was being followed by some 88.8 million people, citing the risk of further incitement to violence. 

 

Trump’s followers numbered 86.6 million as yesterday – though it was unclear how many of those were real and how many were bots – while the number of accounts followed by him went from zero to 49. 

 

Trump reveled in using Twitter as a mouthpiece during his presidency, posting policy announcements, attacking political rivals and communicating with supporters.

 

In Sarawak, Malaysia, twelve polling stations have been opened today for the Baram parliamentary seat voting after polling was suspended on Saturday due to bad weather. 

 

Election Commission secretary Ikmalrudin Ishak said the time for the casting of vote is from 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM or 2 PM depending on the respective centres.

Flash Flood Warnings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malaysia’s national disaster management agency (Nadma) said 16 districts spread over seven states – Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, Kelantan and Sabah – are impacted by floods as of noon yesterday and affecting 3,014 victims from 932 families. 

 

MetMalaysia have warned of possible flash floods in parts of Penang and Sarawak, and more flooding in Kedah and Perak if downpours and thunderstorms persist.

 

Businesses are getting into the election fever by rewarding those who have performed their civic duty during Malaysia's 15th general election. 

 

All they need to do to claim these offers is to prove that they have voted by showing the indelible ink marked on their finger. 

 

For example, one piece of fried chicken for free with any purchase at Marrybrown. 

 

And GSC Cinemas are handing out a small box of popcorn to those who got inked, regardless of whether they also have a movie ticket. However, their Facebook post warned that only “limited stocks” are available. 

 

Meanwhile, Secret Recipe are giving a 30 percent discount on any drinks, and Bean Jr are giving away hot tau fu fah (a bean curd dessert) to voters. 

 

All the above offers are only valid on polling day which falls on November 19.

Malaysia's Traditional Attires

Thanks to the art design department of Istana Budaya, we can have a glimpse of what traditional attire in the olden days would look like in Malaysia . 

But do note that these are only creative fashion designs from the department. This means that all of the details are created and inspired to fit the fashion sense of what people in those days and states would wear. Still, these designs are very detailed and super interesting. 

1. Perlis 

For Perlis, the fashion for women there would be the Kebaya Perlis (it’s longer than a common kebaya) with a long selendang (shawl) wrapped around the shoulders. It’s usually accompanied by a dokoh (kerongsang brooch) at the front of the Kebaya. 

For men, Baju Melayu Cekak Musang (collared top with multiple buttons along the top chest) is very popular around the northern and middle parts of Malaysia. Here, the top, hugged by a samping (outer fabric around the waist) and tanjak (headdress) is made with the same fabric. Usually, there’s a Baju Sikap (outer jacket) for the top and bengkong (belt) with pending (buckle) to secure the samping to the body. 

2. Kedah 

Next, Kedah is known for the traditional Baju Kurung Kedah for women where the top is shorter than the normal Baju Kurung. This particular fashion is paired off with a songket sarong (skirt) and selendang around the shoulders. 

For the men, Baju Melayu Cekak Musang is worn with five buttons, which actually has a specific meaning in traditional history!

3. Penang 

For the Penangites, women are donned with a Kebaya Nyonya (Chinese Peranakan) or Chetti (Indian Peranakan) in which the tops are shorter and decorated with embroidered laces while the sarong used Batik cloth. 

In this creation, the Penangite men would wear a top similar to a western bush jacket that’s matched with a checkered-motif samping. The look is completed with a Tarbus, a Turkey inspired headdress that’s quite well known among traditional Malay Penangite men (also a must headdress for their Boria performance).

4. Perak 

Perakian women are donned with a look called Puteri Perak (Perakian Princess) where instead of a sarong skirt, the women wore pants with the same fabric as the top. The look is also completed with a samping tied in a Perakian style called Ikat Pancung. 

Men would wear the same Baju Melayu Cekak Musang with five buttons. But the only difference would be their samping, tied with the Ikat Pancung style. Who knew there’d be so many different ways to tie a samping. 

5. Kelantan 

If you don’t know Cik Siti Wan Kembang, she was the badass solo queen of Kelantan once upon a time. The female outfit for Kelantan is based on her royalty fashion where she wore three pieces of clothing (the sarong, the body wrap and the selendang). The nobilities wore Kain Limar, a type of cloth similar to Songket but with different patterns. Also, in those days, women wore a cloth to wrap their body up to their chest only and covered their exposed shoulders with a long scarf (usually called Kain Kelumbung). 

For the men, their fashion was completed with Cekak Musang Baju Melayu and Baju Sikap, which was styled in a royalty (songket fabric) way called Baju Putera Raja (the prince’s suit). Kain Limar or also Songket can be used as a fabric for samping in this look. 

6. Terengganu 

For Terengganu, the women were dressed in a Baju Kurung Pesak (Pesak means an additional cloth sewn to the sides of the body for flexibility) with a long selendang. The fabric for the whole costume is made from Songket, a particular cloth that came from Terengganu. 

For men, they wore a Songket Baju Melayu with a Teluk Belanga neck style. Of course, they use Songket material for their samping as well, just with a different pattern.

7. Pahang 

For Pahang, the women wore Baju Kurung Riau Pahang that has Pesak and Kekek Gantung (type of stiches) at the sides. Apart from having a Cekak Musang kinda neckline, this type of Baju Kurung is made with a small waist design, suitable for those with an hourglass figure but still want a modest look. 

The only difference from the men’s clothing is their samping (tied in a Pahang way) and their way of wearing Tanjak. 

8. Selangor 

Selangor women’s traditional wardrobe is simple yet very classy. They wore the Baju Kebaya Labuh Selangor or The Malay Dress where it’s like a normal kebaya, but longer. 

The only difference from the men was again, their way of wearing tanjak. Yes, even the headdress has different styles! 

9. Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur 

Honestly, this particular fashion is very similar to Selangor’s, just with minor details as differences. The female has a more modern touch to the Kebaya while a different Tanjak style is used for the male.

10. Melaka 

For the Melaka look, women wore a Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga neckline with a songket/batik/silk sarong that’s tied with a flowy pattern at the sides called ‘Ombak Mengalun‘. Their look was completed with a distinctively unique headdress and chest cover called La. 

The men wore the same Baju Melayu with a Baju Sikap on top. The only difference is perhaps their headdress and samping style.

11. Negeri Sembilan 

In Negeri Sembilan, the womens’ wardrobe design is as quite similar to Melaka. The only differences are the main sarong’s pattern (this one has Sumatran origins) and the velvety Baju Kurung fabric. 

The men wore the same kind of velvety fabric for their shirts and the style of their tanjak is also slightly different from the other states. Both the men’s and women’s clothes have gold-colored weavings to label them as Minangkabau nobilities.

12. Johor 

Fun fact: The Teluk Belanga neckline look is especially popular in Johor. The women wore it in a Baju Kurung with an Ombak Mengalun sarong. The look is accompanied by a sibai/kain mantul (small cloth covering shoulder and chest) and a Kain Kelubung which was donned like a samping, in a Kain Dagang Luar (the samping was tied outside the top) look. 

The men wore the Teluk Belanga Baju Melayu with the samping tucked inside the top instead of outside. The look is accompanied by their famous tall Songkok (headdress). 

Attire from Sabah and Sarawak for the Kadazan and Iban peoples were included too. 

13. Sabah 

This particular traditional wardrobe in Sabah is of Kadazan Papar descent. The female would wear a top called Sia and a skirt called Gonob. The look is completed with a headdress called Siung. 

The male would wear the male version of Sia with the same fabric pants. The look is completed with an Ikat Pinggang (belt) and Dastar (headdress) with the same fabric. For the outfits, both genders wore the same black velvety fabric with gold weave designs. 

14. Sarawak 

For Sarawak, this particular traditional attire is based on the Iban people. Females would wear a top that’s strapped with a sash called Selampai and a skirt called Kain Karap with a distinct motif. The look is completed with accessories such as Tango (chest cover), Rawai (silver corset), Sugu Tinggi (headdress) and more. 

The men wore an attire called the Baju Burung donned with a Baju Gagong on top of it. The bottom is called Sirat and the look is completed with a very unique feathery headdress called Ketapu. 

So, these are some of the inspired traditional looks for Malaysians in each state, long ago. Some are still worn today – but with a modern twist. 

Acknowledgements to Melissa Suraya Ismail who put together all of the above for The Rakyat Post published April 04, 2022 and now, reproduced in my blog.