MALAYSIA

INTRODUCTION
 (Malaysian pronunciation: [malaɪsiə] or Malay pronunciation: [malajsiə]) is a
federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and
three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres
(127,350 sq mi) separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized
regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Land borders are shared
with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei, and maritime borders exist
with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur,
while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. In 2010 the population was
28.33 million, with 22.6 million living on the Peninsula. The southernmost point of
continental Eurasia, Tanjung Piai is in Malaysia, located in the tropics. It is one of
17 megadiverse countries on earth, with large numbers of endemic species.

Malaysia has its origins in the Malay Kingdoms present in the area which, from the
18th century, became subject to the British Empire. The first British territories were
known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay
kingdoms becoming British protectorates. The territories on Peninsular Malaysia
were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. Malaya was restructured as
the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and achieved independence on 31 August 1957.
Malaya united with North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963,
with si being added to give the new country the name Malaysia. Less than two years
later in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation.

HISTORY

Evidence of modern human habitation in Malaysia dates back 40,000 years. In the

Malay Peninsula, the first inhabitants are thought to be Negritos. Traders and settlers
from India and China arrived as early as the 1st century AD, establishing trading
ports and coastal towns in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Their presence resulted in strong
Indian and Chinese influence on the local cultures, and the people of the Malay
Peninsula adopted the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

In the Second World War the Japanese army invaded and occupied Malaya, North

Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore for over three years. During this time, ethnic
tensions were raised and nationalism grew. Popular support for independence
increased after Malaya was conquered by Allied Forces. Post-war British plans to
unite the administration of Malaya under a single crown colony called the Malayan
Union met with strong opposition from the Malays, who opposed the weakening of
the Malay rulers and the granting of citizenship to the ethnic Chinese.
 The Malayan Union, established in 1946 and consisting of all the British possessions
in the Malay Peninsula with the exception of Singapore, was quickly dissolved and
replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the autonomy of the rulers of
the Malay states under British protection. During this time, mostly Chinese rebels
under the leadership of the Malayan Communist Party launched guerrilla operations
designed to force the British out of Malaya

ECONOMY

Since independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia,
with GDP growing an average 6.5% for almost 50 years. The economy has
traditionally been fueled by its natural resources, but is expanding in the sectors of
science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism. Today, Malaysia has a newly
industrialized market economy, ranked third largest in Southeast Asia and 29th largest
in the world..

The government's development plans, called the Malaysian Plan, currently the Ninth
Malaysia Plan, started in 1950 during the British colonial rule. The plans were largely
centered around accelerating the growth of the economy by selectively investing in
selective sectors of the economy and building infrastructure to support said sectors.
For example, in the current national plan, three sectors
- agriculture, manufacturing and services, will receive special attention to promote
the transition to high value-added activities in the respective areas.

The government also have a development plan that are targeted to improve the
manufacturing sector which is called the Industrial Master Plan. Currently, the plan is
called the Third Industrial Master Plan (IMP3) which covers a period from 2006 to
2020. The industrial plans aim to make Malaysia a major trading nation and build up
the country's economy and human capital.

FOOD SYMBOLISM
10. Popia basah
(wet spring roll)
TOP 10 MALAYSIAN DISHES A hefty sort of spring roll, popia
basah speaks to those in need of the
familiar crispy snack, but without the
added oil.
Not to be confused with wet rolls
found in parts of Vietnam, popia
basah comes complete with its own
regional-specific flavor. In place of
lettuce, the Malay wet spring roll has
turnips, fried onions and bean
sprouts.

9. Nasi kandar
Nasi kandar is essentially rice served
with your choice of toppings, which
commonly include curry, fish, egg
and okra.
Everything is laid out buffet style,
though you can also order à la
carte.Found all over Malaysia, nasi
kandar eateries are extremely
popular, most open 24 hours and run
by ethnic Indian Muslims. 

8. Kuih
Variety, variety, variety -- that's way
to explore kuih, or Malay-style
pastries. Small enough to snap up in
a gulp and sugary enough to give you
a modest jitter, kuih vendors are the
most colorful stalls of all.
This kaleidoscope of soft, sugary
morsels goes quickly -- few pieces
are left by the time daylight
begins to fade.

7. Rendang (beef, chicken or lamb)

Though sometimes erroneously
called a curry, Malaysian food
aficionados point out that this chunky
cauldron of coconut milk and spices
is nothing of the sort.
The difference is in how it’s
prepared: slowly simmered (to let the
meat absorb the spices) until the rosy
liquid completely evaporates.
A favorite, especially during festive
seasons, rendang is found across
Malaysia.

6. Roti john
Whoever John was, it's apparent that
he preferred his sandwiches made
with grilled minced meat and egg in
the middle of slim bread, and
drowned in a confection of
condiments.
Mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue and
chili sauce -- choose one or choose
them all.
5. Nasi lemak
Some call nasi lemak Malaysia’s
unofficial national dish. Everyone
else calls it delicious.
Nasi lemak is basically rice cooked in
coconut milk.
It’s the sides that matter.
Depending on where you are in
Malaysia, it comes with a variety of
accompaniments such as hard-boiled
egg, peanuts, vegetables,
lamb/chicken/or beef curry, seafood
and sambal (chili-based sauce).Nasi
lemak is traditionally eaten for
breakfast but these days people are
ordering it any time of day.

4. Ayam percik
Its barbecued chicken slathered in
spicy chili, garlic and ginger sauce
mixed with coconut milk.
With the right amount of percik
sauce, this staple Malaysian stall food
packs more zing than anything the
Colonel can muster.

3. Nasi kerabu
From the state of Kelantan in
northern peninsular Malaysia, nasi
kerabu gets its eye-grabbing color
from telang flowers, which are
crushed and mixed into flour.
The aquamarine dish is topped with
bean sprouts and fried coconut, then
drenched in spicy budu, a fermented
fish sauce. 
In true Kelantan style, you use your
hands to dig into this one.
2. Mee goreng mamak
This Indian Muslim dish is the
complete package. Yellow noodles.
Beef or chicken. Shrimp. Soy sauce,
veggies and eggs. A bit of chili tossed
in for an irresistible jolt.

1. Apam balik
A pancake-style snack wedded with
the compact package of an omelet,
apam balik is stuffed with more than
a sufficient amount of sugar, peanuts
and the occasional sprinkle of corn --
it's a dish that's constantly being
reinvented.
HERBS and SPICES

• Belacan (fermented shrimp paste)

Belacan is the Malay version of fermented shrimp paste made with ground shrimp
and salt. It’s extremely pungent and might take some getting used to, but for my
friends and I who grew up with belacan, the pungent smell is mouthwatering and a
welcome signal that dinner’s cooking. Various varieties of fermented shrimp paste
are used all over Southeast Asia and form an important ‘backbone’ for dishes like
laksa and kangkong belacan. Belacan is also often used in chili sauces like sambal
belacan.

• Gula melaka
Gula melaka is a dark brown palm sugar with a gorgeous toffee-like flavour. It’s
used in many Malay and Peranakan desserts and drinks like sago gula melaka and
chendol. Gula melaka is also used in snacks like kuih, which are essentially Malay
and Peranakan cakes and pastries that are often steamed. A pinch of gula melaka
can also be used in savoury food like beef rendang for a hint of sweetness.

• Fresh red chilies and dried red chilies

What’s the difference between fresh and dried chilies? The flavor of fresh chilies is
more rounded like a super-spicy capsicum but not as spicy as dried chilies which
are pure, intense spiciness thanks to the dried skin and seeds. Fresh chilies are
especially important to Malay/Peranakan cooking because like most Southeast
Asian food (ever had Thai or Indonesian?), Malay cooking is often spicy. Fresh
and dried chilies are added as the spicy component to rempahs. Fresh chilies are
also made into different types of chili sauces with very particular uses like sambal
belacan (my favorite) for nasi lemak, sambal bajak and even ginger-garlic-lime
based chili for chicken rice.

• Coconut milk
Coconut milk is extremely important in both sweet and savory cooking, used to
make Malay and Peranakan curries like chicken curry, rendang, vegetable curry
(sayur lodeh), sweets like kuih and also as a flavoring for nasi lemak rice.

• Lemongrass
Lemongrass has a gingery, slightly bitter citrus flavor that works well in savoury
cooking with meat, fish, soups and curries. The top part is stringy so for the most
part, only the tender, fragrant white portion of the lemongrass stalk is used. To
 release the flavor, bruise the white part of the stalk with the back of a knife, then
throw the bruised stalk into the soup or curry to simmer away, discarding the
lemongrass stalk just before serving. Lemongrass is used in making dishes like
rendang and otak-otak.

• Pandan
Pandan is a cultivated tropical plant with thin, long leaves. I describe pandan as
‘the vanilla of Southeast Asia’. It’s got a subtle but distinct floral aroma and flavor
and is used in both savory dishes like pandan chicken and sweets like pandan
chiffon cakes and kuihs. Thai and Filipino desserts also often make use of pandan
too.

• Ginger
Ginger is not quite as exotic as some of these other ingredients, so I’m going to
have to get a bit technical to keep it interesting. Did you know that ginger is not a
root? It’s actually a rhizome - an underground horizontal-growing stem that is able
to rapidly shoot buds. The more you know! It’s commonly used in Indian, Chinese,
Japanese and Southeast Asian savory cooking; unlike in Western cooking where
that spicy flavor is primarily saved for sweets.

• Galangal
Galangal is also a rhizome that resembles a pink version of ginger (they’re from
the same family of plant). It’s hard and fibrous in texture and has a totally different
flavor from ginger, tasting more medicinal and peppery. The hardness of galangal
doesn’t soften much after cooking, so be sure to grind it as finely into a paste as
possible.

• Kafir lime
Kaffir lime leaves have a distinct zesty fragrance of citrus rinds. You can easily
spot these waxy leaves because they grow two leaves on a stalk. Kaffir lime leaves
are used for their citrusy flavor in beef rendang and even finely sliced into yusheng
during Chinese New Year.

• Candlenuts
Candlenuts are a hard, bitter nut with high oil content used both for its flavor and
as a curry thickener. I don’t mean to scare you but these must be cooked before
eating as they are poisonous otherwise. I’ve seen recipes substituting candlenuts
with the similar looking macadamia nuts but this will result in a different flavor.

• Garlic and Shallots

 Garlic and shallots are essential ingredients in making a rempah or even a sambal
chilli. Both give a frying rempah its flavorful body. They are wonderful flavors
used in many cuisines like Indian and French cooking.

• Turmeric root
Turmeric root resembles a small, skinny and brownish-orange node of galangal and
has a peppery flavor and musky smell. Shaving off the skin reveals a beautiful
bright orange interior, which helps give, curries an orangey color.

Table Manners

Like other races, Malay table manners are unique and the etiquette regarding food is
also quite elaborate. Malay culture has a few ways of handling food which are still
practiced until today. There are rules and taboos that you must observe if you happen
to be invited to Malay home for a meal. Malays are also invariably Muslims,
therefore there is no pork, non-halal meat or alcohol beverages served in a Malay
home.

• Typical Malay village homes are built in stilt. They have a flight of stairs leading to
the main hall.
• You are required to take off your shoes and clean your feet at the entrance. Most
homes have a water pipe or a big earthenware jar called tempayan that holds water for
the purpose.
• Traditional Malay feast is laid down on the floor. When all guests are seated facing a
square piece of clothes called saprah (similar to a tablecloth but laid on the floor),
food will be brought in.
• Malay meals are not served in courses, rather, all food are presented at the same time.
Using a small bowl with water orketor (a jug with cleaning water, together with a big
bowl to catch the remaining water), you dip the tip of all your right fingers for
cleansing. The meal will be eaten with your right hand. Left hands should never be
used to handle food at any circumstances.
• The main dish will be rice; there will be three or four side dishes that go with the rice.
Dishes with kuah will have a spoon for you to scoop the sauce, soup or gravy but for
dry dishes, you simply tear a piece of the food with your right hand from a communal
dish. Normally, female guests and children will be served on a separate saprah than
from the men. The exception will be if the couples in question are honored guests or it
is a small private affair.
• The way men and women sit are notably different. Men crisscross their feet in front of
them - bersila. Women fold both their feet on one side - bersimpuh (normally on their
 right side). For those who are not used to this manner of sitting, it can be quite
uncomfortable.

Some rules regarding Traditional Malay table manners

• Each grain of rice is sacred; you must clean your place. Hence, you only scoop
enough rice for your own consumption and not too much.
• Do not chew and talk at the same time. Take each morsel in small bites and do not
swallow in big bites.
• If there were two guests suddenly reaching out for the same dish, the elder would
be given the honor to go first.
• If you tasted something and did not like it, do not place it back in the communal
dish. Put it aside your own plate.
• Bones, shells and inedible residue may be placed on a special platter provided. Failing
which, you put on the side of your plate.
• Food cannot be placed on its own on the floor as a sign of respect for the provision
that God provides. Also, you must never point at the food (or anyone) using your foot.
• Even though the drinks are offered simultaneously, it is better to drink only after
you clean your plate.
• Burping or belching is okay for men (they must cover their mouths while doing so)
but farting is a big no-no.