Cultural Resources for Self Learning

Cultural Resources

These are a couple of cultural resources for independent learning. These cover a range of topics from history, to legends to even a little bit of cuisine! Enjoy and happy learning!

• Asiapac Editorial. Gateway to Malaysian Culture. 2003. Asiapac Books, July 2010.
  Written in English it has a mix of historical background along with comics and anecdotes of different well-known Malaysian stories. It’s a good beginner’s guide to the background of Malaysia.
• Buat Orang Lapo. Youtube, 16 May 2016, https://www.youtube.com/c/BuatOrangLapo/featured.
  This is a Malaysian baker and home cook who showcases all of her recipes via Youtube and all entirely in Bahasa Melayu. Not only is this great listening practice but she also features many traditional Malaysian dishes (including some with interesting modifications!) that one can try and make at home!
• Illani, Rai. Legenda Sumpahan Mahsuri – Kisah yang Memasyhurkan Pulau Langkawi. Iluminasi, 26 June 2019, https://iluminasi.com/bm/sumpahan-mahsuri-kisah-misteri-yang-memahsyurkan-pulau-langkawi.html.
  The story of the lady Mahsuri is one of the most famous legends from Langwai, this version is written entirely in Bahasa Melayu. About a woman, falsely accused of being unfaithful, this is one of Malaysia’s most well-known legends and really speaks to the culture of Langkawi particularly of the curse. It’s one of the stories where myth and history intersect.
• Keong, Lau Siew. Waves of Independence. Epigram Books, 2020.
  A biography about Gunn Chit Wha, a leader in Malaysia’s political history being the first female Municipal Councillor and the only female state councilor in Selangor. It follows her life through WWII and British Malay before independence and while in English was published in Singapore. A good ready for a little background into the modern history of Malaysia and a historical figure there-in.
• Wayang Kulit.Universiti Malaysia Kelantan,, http://tradisionalmuzikmelayu.weebly.com/wayang-kulit.html
  A Bahasa Melayu resource created by second and third-year college students about Wayang Kulit, traditional shadow puppetry in South East Asia. It goes over the history and different types of Wayang Kulit in a neatly organized summary with a few pictures, more for the strong readers and those comfortable with longer passages in Bahasa Melayu.