Cultural Tapestry of Malaysia: Diversity in Arts and Cuisine

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Malaysia has a multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual society. The original culture of the area stemmed from indigenous tribes that inhabited it, along with the Malays who later moved there. Substantial influence exists from Chinese and Indian culture, dating back to when foreign trade began. Other cultural influences include the Persian, Arabic, and British cultures. Due to the structure of the government, coupled with the social contract theory, there has been minimal cultural assimilation of ethnic minorities. Traditional Malaysian art was mainly centred around the areas of carving, weaving, and silversmithing.

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[181] Traditional art ranges from hand-woven baskets from rural areas to the silverwork of the Malay courts.

Common artworks included ornamental kris, beetle nut sets, and woven batik and songket fabrics. Indigenous East Malaysians are known for their wooden masks.[94] Each ethnic group have distinct performing arts, with little overlap between them. However, Malay art does show some North Indian influence due to the historical influence of India. Traditional Malay music and performing arts appear to have originated in the Kelantan-Pattani region with influences from India, China, Thailand and Indonesia.

The music is based around percussion instruments, the most important of which is the gendang (drum).

There are at least 14 types of traditional drums. Drums and other traditional percussion instruments and are often made from natural materials. Music is traditionally used for storytelling, celebrating life-cycle events, and occasions such as a harvest. It was once used as a form of long-distance communication.[183] In East Malaysia, gong-based musical ensembles such as agung and kulintang are commonly used in ceremonies such as funerals and weddings.

These ensembles are also common in neighbouring regions such as in the southern Philippines, Kalimantan in Indonesia, and Brunei.

Malaysia's cuisine reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population.[186] Many cultures from within the country and from surrounding regions have greatly influenced the cuisine. Much of the influence comes from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese, and Sumatran cultures,[94] largely due to the country being part of the ancient spice route.[187] The cuisine is very similar to that of Singapore and Brunei,[107] and also bears resemblance to Filipino cuisine.[94] The different states have varied dishes,[107] and often the food in Malaysia is different from the original dishes.[142]