Culture and Religion in Malaysia

Malaysia is a multicultural society, with Malays, Chinese and Indians living status by side. The Malays argon the largest community. They are Muslims and communicate Bahasa. Malays main(prenominal)ly control the political situation in Malaysia. The Chinese comprise intimately a third base of the population. They are Buddhists and Taoists, tell Hokkein, Hakka and Cantonese, and are dominant in the line of descent community. The Indians account for about 10% of the population. They are mainly Hindu Tamils from southern India. They direct Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi, and live mainly in the big towns on the west coast of the peninsula.Eurasians and autochthonal tribes make up the remaining population. Iban of Sarawak is the main indigenous tribe of Malaysia. They number roughly 3, 95,000. They are largely longhouse dwellers and live on the Rejang and Baram rivers. The Bidayuh (107,000) are concentrated on Sarawaks Skrang River. The orangutang Asli (80,000) live in small di sconnected groups in Peninsular Malaysia. The tribals were mainly unsettled agriculturists simply gradually they are cosmos absorbed in the modern Malayan society.The traditional architectural agency of Malaysia is the long-house, form particularly along the rivers of Sarawak. Families live unneurotic (though they have their own private space) in one long building, raised on stilts, sharing the open verandah which runs the integral length of the building. Also raised on stilts are the wooden houses in new(prenominal) parts of rural Malaysia. These stilt-houses are nigh two meters above the ground to cheer against floods and wild animals, while providing extra ventilation system and also shelter for the familys domestic animals.The style of the houses varies from region to region, the most famous existence the saddle-shaped roofs, which rise up into what are cognize as buffalo horns. A third style of home common in Malaysia is the Chinese shop-house where the ground flo or is a shop, with the family living above. Malaysian medicine is severely influenced by Chinese and Islamic forms. The music is based largely around the gendang (drum), but entangles percussion instruments (some made of shells), flutes, trumpets and gongs.The domain has a strong tradition of trip the light fantastic toe and dance dramas. Some of them are of Thai, Indian and Portuguese origin. Other artistic forms include wayang kulit (shadow-puppets), silat (a stylised martial art) and crafts such as batik, weaving and silver and brasswork. Religion more than than half of the population (52%) follows Islam. Other religions followed in Malaysia are Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Sikhism. In addition shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia.