Malaysian Races

and their Taboos

NARESH NAIDU A/L JEYA KUMARAN T8
Malay Taboos
 Must take off your shoes, if not it may seem rude and disrespectfully.
 In it also consider rude to point with your fore finger instead you must point with
your thumb.
 Always eat with your right hand because the left hand is considered dirty when
eating.
 Do not sit on the pillow or else you will get sores on your backside. The reason is,
the pillows are used of the head, so it is not polite to sit on it.
 Do not sing in the kitchen, or you(woman) will marry someone who is way older
than you expect) The reason is, you might be careless while cooking in order to
avoid accidents.
If you’re visiting a Muslim home, either during Hari Raya or during birth or death, the
following guidelines on gifts may help:
 Don’t give liquor, or foodstuff which is not marked halal. Watch out for
chocolates or candy containing gelatin. These are also forbidden to Muslims.
 Giving money envelopes to children during Hari Raya is fine.
 Giving money during funerals is acceptable. Most Muslims won’t know what to
do with wreaths. They normally disassemble them and use the flowers to sprinkle
on the grave.
 Giving money to an ill friend is alright, but flowers or fruit baskets are better.
Indian Taboos
- In some cultures, people are not allowed to touch other family members (or at
times any household items) just after getting a haircut. It’s apparently a state of
impurity. However, a bath later, you’re just as good as before.
- You are not supposed cut your fingernails after sunset.
- Children are often taught to spit in the place where they fell down.
- It’s considered a bad omen when a stray cat crosses your path when you are
going out, it’s a sign that whatever task you were about to undertake will be
unfulfilled. (And here the colour of the cat also is an important factor , Black cats
are the unluckiest).
- It’s impolite or even ill mannered to receive anything with your left hand. Even if a
person’s left hand is their dominant hand.
- Books, pens, pencils etc. are all considered “holy items”, one must not show
disrespect to these by throwing them or kicking them or any other means.
Chinese Taboos
1. Use Chopsticks Correctly
When you are dining at a Chinese table, you should never leave
chopsticks standing straight up in the bowl of rice. This is considered as
very bad table manners to Chinese. According to Chinese taboos, this act
is said to bring bad luck as the chopsticks in rice look similar to the
tombstone in the graveyard. So, just put them down on the table when
you are not using them.
2. Giving the Right Gifts
Chinese is a tradition that emphasizes on exchanging gifts. By giving gifts,
the relationships are enhanced. However, you cannot give a Chinese
friend these gifts: You should never give clock as a gift. Giving a clock has
the meaning of farawell a person who is dying.
3. Don’t cry on New Year’s Day
Chinese New Year is the most important festival in China. There are many
traditions on this day such as exchanging Chinese New Year greetings,
setting firecrackers, etc. Because it is the new beginning, Chinese people will
make this festival “perfect” and avoid any unhappy things including CRYING.
If you do cry, it is said you will cry all year.
4. Don’t Cut Hair in the First Month of the Lunar Year
According to Chinese culture and traditions, cutting your hair in the first
month of the lunar year can bring very bad luck to your (jiùjiu), who is your
mother’s brother or uncle in English. To perform best practices and to bring
good luck in the coming New Year, one should not cut hair until Feb 2nd in
Chinese lunar calendar.