Sarawak is a strange pick and mix of contradictions, from its massively industrialised coastal cities to its sparsely populated rural villages with barely any electricity. Therefore, it should not be entirely surprising that Sarawak hosts the Borneo International Kite Festival despite there being almost no kite-flying culture in Sarawak or even in the rest of … read the full post

Malaysia is often described an Islamic country, but Muslims make up at most 60% of the population, which leaves a hefty 40% of people who practise a whole range of other religions, from animism to Zoroastrianism. The largest minority, comprising one in five Malaysians, are Buddhists, most of them ethnic Chinese. Although a majority of … read the full post

For three days every year, the Batu Caves temple complex is at the centre of Malaysia’s most extraordinary religious event — the Hindu festival of Thaipusam. On the first day, a procession wends its way from central Kuala Lumpur to the complex, which is about 15km to the north. Setting off just after midnight, it takes … read the full post

It’s a bit like waiting for a bus: you hang round for ages for a major festival, and then five come along in quick succession. First up is Deepavali, then Christmas, (Western) New Year, Chinese New Year, and last but not least, Thaipusam. The latter may not be well known outside southern India, but for … read the full post

No sooner is Christmas over in Kuala Lumpur than preparations start for Chinese New Year (CNY), arguably the city’s most important festival. Also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, it marks the start of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Rotating cycles are used to name the year after an … read the full post

One of the side-effects of having such a mix of races and religions living in Malaysia, is that every few weeks seems to herald some major festival or other. This is particularly true of New Year, which is celebrated by Muslims, Chinese, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, as well as indigenous peoples, at different times. As a … read the full post

When talking about how Christmas is celebrated in Kuala Lumpur, it is important to draw a distinction between the city’s small Christian community, and everyone else. For the vast majority of KL’s population, the festival is devoid of any religious connotations. Even the festive decorations have been denuded of any Christian imagery. Malaysians generally need … read the full post

Well over a thousand years before Islam first came to what is now Malaysia, Hinduism was a well established belief system in the peninsula. Even more than Buddhism, that other great Indian religious export, Hinduism influenced all aspects of life, from marriage ceremonies to concepts of divine kingship. The founding of the Malacca Sultanate at … read the full post

When Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on his iconic brewery in Dublin in 1759, he could not be accused of short-term thinking. But I’m sure even he would be surprised by the worldwide popularity of the beer that bears his name, more than 250 years on. An estimated 10 million glasses of Guinness … read the full post

As I may have mentioned before, Malaysians like their food. It’s one of the few things which cuts across all the main ethnic groups in the country. One big difference between the races though, is that while fantastic Chinese and Indian food is easily accessible to tourists, good Malay cooking is far more difficult to … read the full post