Malaysia is a unique country where three primary race groups which are Malay, Chinese and Indian co-exist harmoniously. Differences in terms of religion, customs, code of dressing, behavioral patterns and etc are compromise for peace and harmony.
In Malaysia, there are two terms that are frequently used which is Bumiputra and non Bumiputra. Bumiputra concerns orang asli (Aboriginals), Malays and Malay-related ethic groups found in Sabah and Sarawak.The Malays dominates peninsular Malaysia while the rest are usually found in Sabah and Sarawak. The term non bumiputra consists of the Chinese, Indians and also smaller minority groups such as Arabs, Filipinos , Armenians, Eurasians and Europeans.
Islam is the main religion in Malaysia while other religions such as Christian, Buddhist and Hindu and others are also freely practice.
Main language of Malaysia is Bahasa Melayu but language such as English, Mandarin and Tamil are widely spoken. Dialects such as Hakka, Teochew and Hokkien are also used during daily conversations.
Foreigners would notice that Malaysians tend to use colloquial sayings in English such as no problem la, can can, boleh lah. This is used to promote understanding among Malaysians.
Reference:
Pedersen, P., Asma Abdullah. 2006. Understanding Malaysian Culture: delights , puzzles and irritations about Malaysians. Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya : Pearson Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
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