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Semai, also known as Mai Semai or Orang Dalam. Semai people live scatteredly in Bajaran Titiwangsa, covered by Perak Tengah, Perak Selatan and Pahang Barat. There are about 42,000 Semai, which is the largest group of Orang Asli.

Long ago,  the live's of Semai people are the same as other Orang Asli ethnic group whom lives in nomadic way. They move from one places to another for various reasons, such as, death, wild animals and also plague. Every community, has around 60 to 300 people led by a head village which was chosen by a Shaman.

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Genggulang Festival is Semai's main festival and the most anticipated one by the Semai People. They celebrate it either at the end of December, early January or February. The festival is relatively the same as Lunar New Year. Which was once a religious celebration that has now turned into a cultural celebration. In more depth, Genggulang festival is a ritual to appease land spirits to have a quality harvest. In this ritual, the spirits are offered chickens, flowers and paddy. Day by day, these rituals are nearly forgotten as they claimed that "it is just a story of the old days". Hence, it is now a cultural event celebrated by the Semai people.

The highlight of the ceremony is when everyone held a feast at their home and the crowd was invited. To further celebrate the festival, it was celebrated with Orang Asli dance and in some places they blast off the music played by the musicians. This ceremony usually lasts until morning.

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The Iban are a branch of the Dayak people of Borneo. Most of them resides in Sarawak. They are formerly known as Sea Dayaks which is famous for their hunting past, long house, ornate body tattooing and amazing weaving skills.

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Sikh refers most to the people who speak Punjabi and those who inhabit the Punjabi region in India and Pakistan. The word Sikh means disciple. They  first came to Malaysia in the 19th Century They have preserved a distinct identity within Malaysian society that sets them apart from other Indian communities that are Hindu. The word Sikh means disciple. The Sikh religion distinct from Islam and Hinduism.

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The Minangkabau, also known as Minang comprised a majority of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia. Minangkabau people are descendants from the Minangkabau people from West Sumatra, Indonesia, the Minang of Malaysia have a distinct culture and their royal line that dates back several centuries. The Minang speak the national language of Malaysia, but they have their dialect that reflects lingual roots in the language of their Indonesian heritage.

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Vaisakhi also spelled as Baisakhi is originated as a thanksgiving harvest celebration in Punjab, the festival took on an added dimension in 1699 when the tenth guru named, Guru Gobind Singh . He established the Khalsa Panth, community of committed Sikhs to protect the vulnerable against injustice. Vaisakhi is celebrated by the Sikhs annually. For the Sikhs, the Vaisakhi celebration embodies the spirit of liveliness and spirituality, hence the celebration is full of colours and lights to enhance the surroundings.

This festival will be held at every Gurdwara in Malaysia and to attend, Sikhs have their special attire for Vaisakhi. Which is, men will be dressed in their in neat kurtas, a traditional attire and also turbans, while the women will wear salwar-kameez a traditional dress to the Gurdwara. Some will also be seen in orange, yellow, white and royal blue, which are considered as Sikh colours.

Vaisakhi preparations typically start days ahead of the actual festival day. The Akhand Paath, a recital of the 1430 page Sikh holy scripture, is carried out to signify the start of the celebration. On the actual day, the new Nishan Sahib or flag ensign of the Khalsa is hoisted at every gurdwara.

One of the most meaningful ways to experience the spirit of Vaisakhi is to take part in langar. The term for a communal kitchen in a gurdwara, langar refers to free vegetarian food prepared by volunteers and served to anyone who walks in, regardless of their faith or background. Everyone sits side by side, often on the floor, to eat. All year round, langar is served three times a day but during Vaisakhi, as many as 12 meals are served round the clock to cater to the spike in visitor numbers. The idea behind it is that everyone is equal in the eyes of a Sikh.

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The Gawai Dayak festival is celebrated annually on the 1st of June in Sarawak, which is both a religious and social festival. Gawai means ritual and Dayak is a collective name for the tribes of Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Murut etc.

Gawai Dayak became a symbol of unity, purpose and hope for the Dayak community. Preparations for the festival begin early with the brewing of tuak, a type of rice wine, infamous in Sarawak. On Gawai eve, glutinous rice is roasted in bamboo known as 'ngelulun pulut'.

The celebration starts on the evening of 31st May with a ceremony called Muai Antu Rua, it is to cast away the spirit of greediness, to avoid any interference of the spirit of bad luck in the celebrations.

In the evening, the offering ceremony known as miring will take place, with ritual music. The feast chief will thank the deities for a good harvest, guidance, blessings and long life as he sacrifices a cockerel. Dinner will then be served, while everyone mingles waiting for midnight. At the stroke of midnight, a gong is sounded and a leader, also known as tuai rumah will lead everyone in drinking tuak, wishing for a long life. At the same time wishing each other long life, health, and prosperity. A procession to welcome the spirits known as Ngalu Petara followed by walking up and down the entire length of the longhouse. Now, the celebration gets even merrier with dancing and traditional music being played. More activities that are scheduled the next day are cock-fighting, blowpipe demonstrations and dancing competitions. On this day, the homes of the Dayaks will be open to visitors. In the longhouses, a practice called masu pengabang takes place where guests will be served with tuak by the host before they can enter the longhouse. The Gawai Dayak festival may last up to several days, with visitors being welcomed to the homes of the Dayaks throughout the festival. It is also this time of year that many Dayak weddings take place, as it is rare for all members of the community to assemble at the longhouse at one time.

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Retrieved from: Bukit Tadom Selangor

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Retrieved from: New Straits Time

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Retrieved from: Prayer of Peace

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retrieved from:

MC Graphic Design Photography

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retrieved from: Thisbeast

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retrieved from: Proud to be a Sikh

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Dusun is the collective name of an ethnic in the state of Sabah. Due to several similarities in culture and language with the Kadazan ethnic group, now the new term was created to unify them as Kadazan-Dusun.

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Gawai celebration in 2017

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e-celebration due to restricted movement order in Malaysia.

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Kaamatan means harvest in kadazan dusun. Ths festival is celebrated annually by Dusun people in sabah. It is a one-month celebration starting from 1st May till 31st May. Today's Kaamatan celebration is very synonymous with beauty pageant competition known as 'Unduk Ngadau', a singing competition known as 'Sugandoi', non-halal food and beverages stalls, and handicraft arts and cultural performances in traditional houses.

Back in the old days, Kaamatan was celebrated to thank the ancient God and rice spirits for an abundant harvest to ensure continuous paddy yield for the next paddy plantation season. Nowadays, the majority of the Dusun people have embraced Christianity and Islam. Although the Kaamatan is still celebrated as an annual tradition, it is no longer celebrated for the purpose to meet the demands of the ancestral spiritual traditions and customs, but rather in honouring the traditions of the ancestors. Today, Kaamatan is celebrated as a reunion time with family and friends.

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Retrieved from: Travel Weekly Asia

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retrieved from: Sabah Post

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Kaamatan celebration in 2019

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Minang people are mainly Muslims. Everything will be done in Islamic traditions, including marriage and funeral. Hence, they celebrate Hari Raya (Eid). Which will be celebrated after a month of fasting, or when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities, so the day of celebration varies by country.

They start the day with an early morning prayer at the mosque, to thank God for the blessings. After morning prayer, families gather together to seek forgiveness, because, in their belief, peace and harmony are the way of life. Some will visit the graves of the loved ones and pray for their souls. In the old days, lighting up ‘Pelita’ (oil lamp), the night before Hari Raya is one of the tradition to light up the atmosphere around their house.

For Hari Raya attire, the men will wear Baju Melayu along with Songkok. For women, they would be dressed in Baju Kurung or Baju Kebaya. Minang people would don in their best look because in Islam, you have to look good and smell good when celebrating Hari Raya.

Moreover, like any other celebration. Hari Raya is famous for its open house where families and friends would gather and feast on cuisines prepared by the host. In Minang culture, it is important to serve Rendang Minang which is different from any other because it has mixture of beef and cow's internal organs, Ketupat and Lemang.

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Retrieved from: Innoasia

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retrieved from: Foodilicious Kitchen

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Open house during Hari Raya celebration

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Hari Raya Celebrations with Malaysian Family - OPEN HOUSE

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Ritual on Genggulang Festival

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Cultural and Religious Festivals: The Malaysian Experience
Page 105-106

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Cultural and Religious Festivals: The Malaysian Experience
Page 106

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Siti Azmira Binti Hamzah

22 years old (18th March)

Resides in Shah Alam

Ethnicity: Malay/Minang