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Around the year 1485 to 1524, some people of Brunei migrated to certain areas in Borneo and they are later known as Kedayan.

Kedayan is an ethnic group that can be found mainly in Sabah, Sarawak, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan, and Brunei.

They have developed and adapted their identity to the locals and thus creating their own culture in the aforementioned areas.

One of the significant elements of their culture would be their traditional attire as they are distinctive from Malay or any of Borneo's traditional costumes.

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Bidayuh, also archaically known as Land Dayak, is one of the ethnic groups of indigenous people in Sarawak. Bidayuh stands for 'People of the Land'. Bi means people and dayuh means the land.

Some Bidayuhs people believe that they are Borneo natives, but another half think otherwise and believe that they descent from West Kalimantan, Java, and Sumatra.

Bidayuhs built their home around Sarawak rivers, hills, and mountains. Their settlements usually can be found in Lundu, Bau, Padawan, and Serian areas.

Bidayuhs are known for their cultural history which includes traditional dress, among other things.

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Sourced from Lim Huey Teng | malaysiakini.com (Malhi, 2021).

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Java is an Indonesian island that is southeast of Malaysia and Sumatra, south of Borneo (Kalimantan), and west of Bali.

The Malay Javanese settlement in Malaysia started way back from the trading relations between Peninsular Malaysia and Java. They even had their settlement called Kampung Jawa at Bandar Hilir during the fifteenth century Malacca.

And starting in the 1870s, the Javanese from Central and East Java began moving in large numbers to Malaysia due to reasons like poverty and population growth. Along with this migration, they establish their community in Malaysia and assimilate their culture into the local society.

One of the physical effects of this assimilation can be seen in their traditional clothes.

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Sourced from Sarawak Tourism Board (2016).

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The Iban community takes up about 30% of the population of Sarawak and is considered one of the major ethnic groups in Sarawak, along with Bidayuh and Orang Ulus.

In Sarawak, they are also known as Sea Dayaks, and it is derived from the fact that they used to reside near rivers and from their boat-handling abilities.

The Iban communities are rich with culture and traditions and one of the cultural elements that represent them is their traditional clothes. They pay great attention to the details from head to toe in their men's and women's traditional clothing.

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The Baba Nyonya settlement in Malaysia started from the intermarriages between Chinese men and local women when the Chinese trader immigrated to the Malay Peninsula around six centuries ago. Their settlements in Malaysia are commonly found in Melaka and Penang.

Their immigration resulted in exposure to the novel culture created from their assimilation into the local’s culture, and one of the cultural elements that I want to acquire more about is their traditional clothing.

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Above is a poster detailing the traditional clothing for both Baba and Nyonya.

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Baba Nyonya's evocative traditional clothings

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Baba Nyonya's evocative traditional clothings

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Different traditional clothes are tailored for men and women, though they share similarities in which both genders' clothes are influenced by Chinese, Malay, and European culture.

Other than that, it is worth noting that The Nyonyas began wearing the kebaya in the late 1910s and early 1920s, a fashion that originated in the Dutch West Indies. It is embroidered and paired with floral-patterned batik sarongs.

However, both Baba and Nyonya gradually wore western attires when corresponding with the British and as a symbol of status from the 1930s onwards.

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Baba Nyonya's Traditional Clothing Poster (1)

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How would one think of Baba Nyonya's culture without their renowned beaded shoes? Beaded shoes, more commonly known as Kasut Manek, have been a staple item in Baba Nyonya's traditional clothing.

The beads are sewn manually, and it requires a lot of patience and attention to detail. In the early days, beads from Bohemia are used but is replaced nowadays by much more favoured glass beads from Japan.

Moreover, European and Chinese patterns are among the elements that are common in Kasut Manek's design.

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Each tribe in Sarawak is known for its distinct themes and clothing preferences by implementing myriad types of nature-inspired motives and designs. The Iban tribes are one of them, and it can be seen on some of their clothing such as woven Pua Kumbu as well as Sarawak Malay Songket!

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The culture and spirituality of the Iban people is interwoven with the natural environment of Borneo, an island the Iban have inhabited for many generations. While certain tribal practices such as headhunting have disappeared, many Iban communities living in the modern-day Malaysian state of Sarawak and elsewhere continue to speak their own language, live in communal rumah panjai longhouses, and practice the ritual of weaving. Pua kumbu is the woven textile most readily associated with the Iban. Made using a combination of ikat dyeing and backstrap loom weaving, pua kumbu is unique in its use of fibres and dyes that are endemic to the jungles of Borneo.

Mordant dyeing is highly ritualised in Iban society and the finished textiles - with their figurative motifs - are used to convey moral and spiritual teachings. Because of this, both the process and the finished pua kumbu cloth are among the Iban's most cherished cultural practices. Pua kumbu is traced back to an elaborate origin story that has been handed down through Iban folklore. The process of creating cloth is considered the women's 'warpath' and an expression of cultural identity. Today, where pua kumbu weaving is still practiced, it is often done on looms set against the extended walls of the longhouse.

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Iban Pua Kumbu Weaving, Malaysia - The Textile Atlas

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The culture and spirituality of the Iban people is interwoven with the natural environment of Borneo, an island the Iban have inhabited for many generations. While certain tribal practices such as headhunting have disappeared, many Iban communities living in the modern-day Malaysian state of Sarawak

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Powerpoint slides: Iban's traditional clothing

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Powerpoint slides: Iban's traditional clothing

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Being a community that is particularly fond of clothing and jewellery, different outfits are tailored to fit both men and women of the Iban community. In the PowerPoint above, more information about the clothing can be found!

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Step by step video on how to wear Ngepan Indu Iban!

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Step by step video on how to wear Ngepan Indu Iban!

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How to wear iban traditional costume |step by step

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Pinterest board: Gallery of Baba Nyonya's Traditional Clothings

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Pinterest board: Gallery of Baba Nyonya's Traditional Clothings

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https://pin.it/FX4efUS

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Until this day, Baba Nyonya remains to be one of the most unique ethnicities in Malaysia but there seems to be a declination in interest and appreciation from the youth towards their culture.

Social structure, languages, as well as their traditional clothing, have been gradually diminishing as a result of environmental changes.

Fortunately, the older generations have been preserving all the artefacts and heritages that were passed down from their ancestors. Moreover, they managed to showcase its magnificence through a few museums, shops, and restaurants in Melaka as well as Penang.

Tours were also often included by the museums as a way for the visitors to understand and appreciate the culture better, and for the Baba Nyonya community to sustain their culture and identity.

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To ensure that you are not disappointed, please use this facility at least one month in advance. Also do view the calendar to see our peak time periods.

Entrance Fee Prices
Adults: RM16
Children (5-12 years old): RM11
For guided tours, please add an additional RM4 per adult.

Click here to book a tour. We will get back to you via e-mail with a confirmation on your booking time.

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Home - Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum - Home of a Peranakan Family Since 1861

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To ensure that you are not disappointed, please use this facility at least one month in advance. Also do view the calendar to see our peak time periods. Entrance Fee Prices Adults: RM16 Children (5-12 years old): RM11 For guided tours, please add an additional RM4 per adult.

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Introduction
Table of Contents
Baba Nyonya
Iban
Bidayuh
Kedayan
Javanese
Reflection
References

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Following their ancestors' steps, the current Iban communities continually preserve their heritage and traditions. Their traditional clothes are still donned by the current generations on special occasions to commemorate their rich culture.

Not only that, it can be seen from the article attached above that the effort put into promoting their culture by the Iban communities can be described as perseverance and admirable.

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‘Orang Asal’ group from Sarawak boards flight in traditional costume

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KOTA KINABALU: No doubt, many travellers at the airport here and in Miri did a double take at the sight of a group of tattooed warriors striding barefoot through the terminals on Saturday (April 30).

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Assalamualaikum, and a very good day to those who are reading this! My name is Nurlisa Farhanah binti Nor Azhar, Hanah for short. I am currently in Bachelor of Degree in Applied Language Studies (Hons) English for Intercultural Communication at UiTM Shah Alam.

I have created this ePortfolio with the purpose to share the knowledge that I have acquired pertaining to the traditional clothes of the five ethnic groups in Malaysia that I have chosen and researched for my assignment.

I have always loved to learn more about culture, and I sincerely hope that this ePortfolio will give a novel insight and knowledge about the presented ethnic groups and their traditional attires.

Thank you.

Warm regards,
Hanah

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Sourced from airasia Explore (Vanuaranu, 2020).

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Batik is a common cultural practise used by both Javanese and Malays, and it has deep roots in both cultures.

The Javanese community in Malaysia can be identified by their distinctive clothing design. The common clothing item used would be batik.

There are myriad types of batik designed from different motifs, but Sekar Jagad would be the most commonly produced batik design in Malaysia. Sekar Jagad could be defined as 'flowers of the universe' or 'map of the world'.

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Javanese and their mesmerising traditional attire!

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Javanese and their mesmerising traditional attire!

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For different ceremonial ceremonies, the elder generation of Javanese wears a traditional Javanese headgear made of batik fabric used by men called blangkon and batik apparel.

In the video attached above, you can see various forms of Javanese Kebaya for women and the Busana Jawi Jengkap for men.

i) Busana Jawi Jengkap

- It is worn during official and ceremonial occasions. The top is called baju beskap and the wearer will complete the look with Javanese batik on the bottom part of the clothing.

- Unlike Malay, Javanese did not display their keris in front but instead at the back. According to the video above, the arrangement is made with the purpose to display a friendly and inoffensive impression from the wearer toward other people.

ii) Javanese Kebaya

- Although Kebaya is a common traditional attire in Southeast Asia, Javanese Kebaya has its traits that distinguish them from the others which is their batik.

- Javanese Kebaya will always come with Javanese batik as the skirt for the Kebaya.

However, the current generation of Javanese descent did not don the traditional clothes as much as their previous generations did and often opted to only wear them on certain occasions.

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Similar to other cultures, efforts are being made to preserve their heritage and tradition by the Javanese community here in Malaysia.

Fortunately, batik has been one of the clothing being perpetually produced in certain places in Malaysia, mainly in Kelantan and Terengganu.

Moreover, even though the younger generations of Javanese descendants did not put on their traditional clothes as often as before, the older generation took the initiative to pass Javanese batik as an heirloom to protect their heritage.

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Bidayuh's traditional clothes used to be made from a bark of a tree called 'boyuh'. However, nowadays they opted to use cotton instead to tailor their traditional costumes.

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Tawuop or Tahup is a long-long cloth that is worn tightly as a part of their traditional costume for men.

Along with that, they also don a vest that is usually reserved for special occasions. It drapes across the upper part of the wearer's body and usually comes in the colour black with red and white stripes.

Kima, which is the accessories worn consists of earrings and armlets.

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Bidayuh women's traditional clothing is regarded as their identity and they usually wear them during events and ceremonies.

Their traditional costume consists of a skirt called Jomuh paired with a short-sleeved or sleeveless top.

Similar to men, Bidayuh women also incorporate accessories into their traditional clothing. Some would be Tankis which is a copper bangle and Pangiah, a necklace made of pendants and ceramic beads.

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Bidayuhs still exist in large numbers in the areas that they dominate in Sarawak, and they have been doing a great job preserving and promoting their culture including their traditional attires.

An example could be seen from the attached video above, the accessories and clothing items of their traditional attire are being sold and displayed to further promote it.

Young generations of Bidayuh also actively participate in promoting their culture through postings on social media such as YouTube to further educate the public on their traditions. Moreover, the old ways of celebrating Gawai such as donning the traditional costumes are still being practice today.

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Traditional Dayak Bidayuh Attire Collections

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Kedayan has stunning traditional outfits known as Baju Kedayan. It is tailored for men and women in their communities. Each possesses its own identity and aesthetic that portrays its rich cultural heritage.

For men, their traditional outfits consist of a black collarless long-sleeved cotton shirt paired with also a cotton pair of pants that reached above their ankles. Usually, they will adorn the outfit with a headgear known as daster.

As for women, their traditional outfits comprised of a black cotton long-sleeved blouse embellished with a hollowed silver button called Baju Berkubamban Butang Enam. It is commonly paired with a black cotton skirt called Kain or Sarong. They would also wear a scarf to go with their traditional attire.

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Kedayan used to wear Baju Kedayan as often as they can in the olden times. However, nowadays the attire is hardly seen and is only opted to wear during special occasions and ceremonies.

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It is quite difficult to find materials that elaborate on the wonderful culture of Kedayan. However, efforts of preserving this culture have been made by the current generation.

Ceremonies and events were held to introduce the Kedayan culture to the younger generations with their traditional customs, traditional games, and traditional clothing, among other many things.

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LIMBANG: The Kedayans have their own unique and distinctive culture, language and costumes. They are also famed for their knowledge of medicinal plants, which they grow to treat a wide range of ailments or to make tonics.

But all these traits are increasingly eroded by the onslaught of the ever-changing world of modernisation and globalisation. Their durians and 'terap' are among the best.

Bahasa Kedayan is spoken by more than 130,000 people in Brunei, 46,500 in Sabah and 37,000 in Sarawak.

In Sabah, the Kedayans mainly live in Sipitang, Beaufort, Kuala Penyu and Papar while those in Sarawak mostly reside in Lawas, Limbang, Miri and Sibuti areas.

Their premier celebration - Pesta Makan Tahun- has been given a revival and is a much-awaited thanksgiving occasion for the community in Bekenu, Limbang, Lawas, Brunei and Sabah. It is similar to the Tadau Keamatan of Sabah or Gawai Dayak of Sarawak.

This year, Limbang Kedayan Association held its third edition of the Makan Tahun from Aug 4 to 6 at Kampung Pahlawan here. Joining the locals in the celebration were their brethren from Sipitang, Labuan, Brunei and Miri to partake in the food, cultural and traditional sports extravaganza.

The earlier editions of the carnival were held in Kampung Limpaki (2015) and Kampung Batu Bakarang (2016).

The aim of the carnival was to revive the diminishing traditional customs, expose the younger generation to the annual thanksgiving event and foster rapport among the community while introducing traditional cakes and food such as 'wajid', 'penyeram' and 'suabai', traditional games and costumes apart from highlighting their cultural heritage. There are 22 Kedayan villages in Limbang.

What is unique about the Kedayan Makan Tahun is that every villager is involved and given tasks and responsibilities by the village chief in the spirit of 'gotong-royong'.

This carnival is a peek into the past of the agrarian Kedayan community where the smell, atmosphere and setting is recreated as a walk down memory lane for many of the elders and a platform for the younger generation to be acquainted with their ancestral roots and customs.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan represented Limbang-born Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg in officiating at the opening ceremony.

Kampung Pahlawan is the largest Kedayan village in Limbang Division, with over 2,000 villagers and is divided into five zones - Tatal, Bukit, Tamiang, Masjid and Batu Lapan. It was a scene to behold as the villagers went all out to prepare for this celebration.

The main function was centred at the newly completed RM1.7 million multipurpose hall which can seat 1,000 people, where silat, folk songs, cultural performances, beauty contest and many events were lined up.

The 'Junjung' or farm huts competition saw many villagers from the respective zones erecting from scratch outstanding structures made from wood, bamboo and nipah leaves which reflected their identity, cultural roots and cuisine.

There were also toys and decorations, food and many other items provided by nature while old bronze pots, kerosene lamps and other antique items were on display at the carnival.

Children's toys - gegagi, ular ular and burong-burong - were made from nipah leaves, while food such as prawns or fish with rice wrapped in 'pinang' leaves were among the novelty at the 'Junjung' - a flashback to a past lifestyle untouched by modernity.

Saadiah Amin of Zone Temiang said children had a lot of fun playing with the toys made from leaves which are folded into forms resembling snakes, birds or saws akin to origami.

The array of food presented at these 'Junjung' included buffalo meat, 'pais ikan', 'sambal tahai', local fruits, 'umbut kelapa' and other traditional food of the Kedayans.

Zone Kampung Sembiling took the top prize of RM1,000 cash for the finest 'Junjung', followed by Nuaran and Tatal in second and third places taking home RM700 and RM500 respectively. Awang Tengah presented prizes to the winners.

Also present were State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Datuk Henry Sum Agong, Limbang MP Hasbi Habibolah, Batu Danau assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang, Lambir assemblyman Ripin Lamat, Umno Labuan deputy chief Senator Datuk Bashir Alias, Limbang Resident Datu Maria Hasman, Limbang District Council chairman Sufian Mohat, Deputy Limbang district officer Hamidah Halpi, Umno Labuan Women chief Datuk Aini Safar, organising chairman Penghulu Abu Tinggal and village chief Bungsu Tambah.

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Makan Tahun a window to Kedayan life - Borneo Post Online

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LIMBANG: The Kedayans have their own unique and distinctive culture, language and costumes. They are also famed for their knowledge of medicinal plants, which they grow to treat a wide range of ailments or to make tonics. But all these traits are increasingly eroded by the onslaught of the ever-changing world of modernisation and globalisation.