The culture of Malaysia is quite varied and sees influences from other cultures as well. Here's an overview about the Malaysian culture.

Family life is of utmost importance and holds a strong place in this culture. The Malay culture is native to Malaysia. It is a place which boasts of a rich cultural heritage. The country sees a healthy mix of various tribes such as the Malay, the Chinese and even the Indians. The Malaysian culture has also witnessed heavy influences from the other cultures as well. Malaysia also offers you loads of things to do and beautiful sights to see and one can notice that its culture is as beautiful as the place. Here's a look at the culture of Malaysia and factors associated with it.

The People

Malaysia is a country that is known for its rich and cultural heritage. Here, people strongly believe in respecting each other's culture and religion. Here, one can find a good mix of Malay, Chinese and even Indian communities. The Malay people cover more than half of the population of Malaysia. As per the laws of the Malaysian Constitution, all Malays are basically Muslims and one can get a glimpse of the traditional Malay culture in the village areas.

The Malaysian culture also includes the Chinese and they were known to have adopted the Malaysian culture since the ancient days. With the practice of intermixed marriages there emerged a whole new group where the males were called the babas and the females were known as the nyonyas. The Chinese therefore are the second largest group out here.

The Indians are the third largest group of people that form a major part of the Malaysian culture. The Indians had always visited this place since the ancient days.

Thus we see how different races have formed a part of the culture of Malaysia. The unity in diversity can be seen in the celebration of various festivals by all races that reside here. Apart from this, there are also certain tribes that form the oldest inhabitants of Malaysia. This forms to be at least 5 percent of the total population.

The Lifestyle

The Malaysian culture shows a lot of modern influences that is seen in the western culture today. Today, we can see many influences even in the native families, which speak the English language and follow a modern culture of pubbing and are a party going lot. This does not mean that they do not follow their customs and traditions. Today, young girls still use a piece of cloth that covers their head which is called Tudung. Family values forms still have a strong foothold in the culture of Malaysia.

The Music

The Malaysian music has seen influences from the Indonesia, Portugal and even has influences from Thai forms and Chinese styles. The pop scene has seen many developments in Malaysia and the more traditional kind of music was popularized in the 1920s-1930s. Yet another genre, the Pop Yeh-Yeh ruled the Malaysian music scenario in from the year 1965 to 1971. Malaysian bands were heavily influenced with bands such as Scorpians and Def Leppard before the mid 1980s.