DEFINITION OF MALAYSIAN INDIAN CULTURE

The Indian community in Malaysia is the smallest of the three main ethnic groups,

accounting only 10% of the country’s population. Tamils, Malayalees and Telegu-

speaking people make up over 85% of the people of Indian origin in the country..

Indians first came to Malaya for barter trade, especially in the former Straits

Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang.

The Indians who came to Malaysia brought with them the Hindu culture – its unique

temples, delicious cuisine and colorful garments. Hindu tradition remains strong until

today in the Indian community of Malaysia.

Here’s also the Chitty community in Malacca – similar to the Babas and Nyonyas, it is

the result of the assimilation between the Indian immigrants and local culture. Though

they remain Hindu, the Chitties speak Bahasa Malaysia and their women dress in

sarong kebayas instead of sarees. However other Indian Hindus retain their vernacular

languages and dialects. The community celebrates two main festivals – Deepavali and

Thaipusam – and many other smaller religious events each year. Indians in Malaysia

mainly speak Tamil, Malayalam, Telegu and some Hindi.

There are also other, comparatively small Peranakan communities, such as Indian

Hindu Peranakans (Chitty), Indian Muslim Peranakans (Jawi Pekan) and Eurasian

Peranakans (Kristang).Weddings in Malaysia are a mainstay in the social calendar of

the whole community. Many wedding traditions originated in India. Increasingly,

Western features are incorporated, such as speeches, the first dance and the

traditional wedding cake.