Cultural Taboos in Malaysia

Assalamualaikum, Hai and Hello to all readers JJJ

Okay this time we want to share with you all about taboo in our Malay, Chinese and Indian community. Too many taboo that has been presented to us, especially when we were children. I always wondered whether the prohibition is true or plot.

A taboo is an activity that is forbidden or sacred based on religioud beliefs or morals. Breaking a taboo is extremely objectionable in society as a whole. Around the world, an act may be taboo in one culture and not in another.

For Malay community among the common taboo we have heard are as follows :

·       Do not point finger towards the rainbow because the consequences of your finger will be crippled.

·       Do not cut the nails at the night because it’s believed that the person’s life will be shortened.

·       Do not open an umbrella in the house because the snake will enter the house.

·       Do not sing at the kitchen because feared you would be delayed marriage or you will marry with someone is more aged than you.

·       Do not sit in the pillow or you will get the boil or sores.

·       Do not seeing your sweetheart 40 days before the Ijab Kabul because it’s certainly not encouraged to see your future husband or wife within the 40 days before the ijab Kabul (holy matrimony) is taking place. It’s done so to avoid the future newlyweds from imputation of society as well as other bad things.

·       Don’t eat rice with gravy or soupy food several months before the big day (wedding) to avoid the embarrassment of having a distended stomach during the special night.

For Chinese community among the common taboo we have heard are as follows :

·       Do not used the number four (四, sì) particularly on phone numbers, license plates and addresses because it's sounds like death (死, sǐ).

·       Never offer a friend an umbrella because the word umbrella (傘, sǎn) sounds similar to 散 (sàn, to break up) and the act is a sign that you will never see each other again.

·       Don’t cry on New Year’s Day because if you do, it is said you will cry all year.

·       Don’t wash your hair on Chinese New Year Day or you may wash away all your luck.

·       Never turn over fish when you are with a fisherman as the motion symbolizes a boat capsizing.

·       When sitting, do not point the bottoms of your feet to any person and try to sit cross-legged or tuck your legs underneath you.

·       After eating a meal, never leave your chopsticks sticking up in the left-over rice at the bottom of your bowl because this is what people do at shrines when offering a meal to their ancestors' ghosts.

·       Do not use knives or scissors on New Year’s Day as this may cut off fortune.

For Indian community among the common taboo we have heard are as follows :

·       Do not hunt, as killing wildlife can get you in serious trouble. Do not hurt a cow, as many Hindus consider the cows are holy, and are offended if they are hit by strangers.

·       Do not offer to shake the hand of a person of the opposite sex unless they offer first.

·       Do not touch anyone or receive/give anything with one’s left hand, as the left hand is only used for one’s “morning business.”

·       Do not use the same hand for eating and also for taking food from a common dish on the dining table. Indians believe other people’s saliva is unhygienic. Tasting and taking a sip from others’ glasses is regarded as violation of private space. If you need a spoon, you will need to ask for it or bring one along.   Typically, people eat with their (right) hand.

·       Do not walking over books and paper, even newspaper or even touching them with your feet, as Indian people treat books as a metaphor for the Goddess of learning.

·       Do not breaking temple rules while on a visit to a temple. Feet, particularly shoes/sandals, are considered unclean, always take them off when entering a temple (except in some Westernized, urban congregations). In some temples tourists are not even allowed to walk into the most holy areas with their shirts on.

Actually too much taboo and customs that do not make sense that can be found in the traditions of our society. But behind the trickery in the forbidden taboo, there are many lessons we can learn from it. But our ancestors education methods differ, they do not like to tell accurately about the consequences. They prefer intimidating so we do not make mistakes. Effects and consequences will be explored slowly, in line with increasing age. In conclusion, taboo and tradition in our society seems to resemble the teachings of error, but actually implied a very valuable less.