SHAH ALAM – Every Deepavali, the lights go up, the kolam patterns appear on doorsteps and the smell of murukku fills homes across Malaysia and increasingly, those homes belong to Malaysians of every background.
Indian culture has quietly woven itself into the fabric of everyday Malaysian life, from the saree worn to a friend’s wedding to the classical Tamil songs that find their way onto Malaysian wedding playlists regardless of who is getting married and young leaders from the Indian community say this is something worth celebrating, as long as it comes with understanding.
Batu MP Prabakaran M. Parameswaran said the sight of Malaysians from different backgrounds enjoying Indian food, wearing traditional clothing or connecting through music and films carried a warmth that went beyond mere trend.
“When Malaysians from different backgrounds enjoy Indian food, wear a saree or kurta, or connect through music and films, these shared experiences can create a sense of warmth and belonging.
“They give us opportunities to learn about one another in ordinary, everyday ways,” he told Sinar Daily.
He said Indian culture was not monolithic, encompassing many languages, traditions and communities and hoped that familiarity with its visible elements would lead people to look deeper.
“I see this as something to welcome, especially when it comes with curiosity and respect,” he added.
Central Executive Committee member and former Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto said she drew a direct parallel between the way Malaysians had come to understand the significance of their own traditional attire and the depth she hoped they would one day bring to Indian cultural appreciation.
“For example, we understand the differences between baju kurung, baju kebaya, baju kebarung, baju Kedah including the different pesak designs.
“In the same way, I would like to see more people understand where the Indian attire they appreciate and wear comes from and what it represents,” she said when contacted recently.
She said young people were already beginning to share the significance and social history behind certain prints and patterns and that the same curiosity deserved to be extended to Indian traditions.
“Some prints, for instance, were created by women who faced oppression, while others came from communities that revolted or protested against injustice.
“Young people are beginning to share the stories and significance behind these designs, and I think it is important for others to understand them too,” she said.
When appreciation becomes a stereotype
However, Kasthuri was clear that cultural appreciation extended beyond clothing and cuisine and that some habits many Malaysians considered harmless had in fact become tired and offensive.
She said the head shake, often mimicked as a shorthand for Indian identity, was not a cultural practice but a form of body language and the casual mockery of it had long overstayed its welcome.
“It is not as funny as it might have been 10 years ago. It is similar to the issue of 'blackface'. Today, we recognise that 'blackface' is offensive and unacceptable.
“Similarly, the head shaking and the stereotypes are also really not appreciated,” she said.
She added that Malaysians had also grown accustomed to using words and slurs in jest when referring to indigenous and Orang Asli communities and that the justification of such usage needed to end.
“If a community tells us that a particular word is offensive, makes them uncomfortable or carries a painful history, the response should be a collective effort to acknowledge it. We should be able to say, 'We did not know. We are sorry and we will not do it again,'"she said.
On the question of where the line sat between appreciation and appropriation, Prabakaran said respect began not with expertise but with willingness.
“Someone does not need to know everything before taking part, but it helps to ask questions, listen and recognise that certain customs or symbols may carry religious or personal significance,” he said.
He said care was needed when a tradition was mocked, reduced to a stereotype or presented without acknowledging its origins and that businesses and creators had a particular responsibility to involve people who practised the tradition and to give proper credit.
“We should encourage learning and allow room for honest mistakes to be corrected respectfully,” he said.
Young Malaysians and a shared identity
Both agreed that younger Malaysians were showing a growing openness to one another’s cultures and that this generation was in a unique position to take it further.
Kasthuri said her two young nieces, studying in a national school, identified simply as Malaysians and saw their diverse friendships as the most natural thing in the world.
“For young people, embracing their culture and cultural identity can actually make them more Malaysian because it helps them better understand what being Malaysian means,” she added.
She said Malaysia’s identity as a melting pot of civilisations, languages, ethnicities and faiths was not a complication to be managed but a characteristic to be defended.
“Unlike countries where a more homogeneous identity forms the core of national identity, Malaysia is a melting pot of civilisations, cultures, languages, ethnicities, religions and beliefs. This is what makes our national identity so unique and it is something we must defend and uphold,” she said.
Kasthuri added, however, that the era of easy access to information also carried a shadow, the spread of misinformation and disinformation and that the challenge for young Malaysians was learning to distinguish between fact and opinion dressed up as authority.
The challenge is helping young people distinguish between what is real, what is true and what is supported by facts and science, rather than simply accepting opinions shared by so-called influencers who may not have the relevant expertise, research or academic background,” she said.
Understanding the meaning behind Deepavali
For Prabakaran, the aspect of Indian culture he most wished Malaysians would look beyond the surface of was Deepavali itself.
“Beyond the lights, clothing and festive food, its symbolism of light overcoming darkness invites reflection on hope, renewal and the way we treat others.
“Sharing a meal is a lovely beginning. Understanding the meaning behind the occasion can make that connection even more meaningful,” he said.
Kasthuri offered a practical starting point for anyone hoping to go deeper, the humble banana leaf.
She explained that the way a diner folded their banana leaf at the end of a meal was steeped in meaning, and most Malaysians who loved a good banana leaf rice had no idea.
“When you go to a restaurant and the service is good, you fold the outer part of the leaf towards you. You fold inward for happy occasions, weddings, engagements, housewarmings.
“The only two times you fold the leaf outward is at a funeral, and if you did not enjoy your meal or the service was poor,” she said.
She said she often shared this quietly with strangers at restaurants, and hoped more Malaysians would carry that same spirit of curiosity to the table.
“If you want to talk about customs, then this is one of them. And I think it would be really good for Malaysians who are non-Indians to go a little deeper into the culture as well,” she said.
Cultural appreciation is not simply about taking part in another community’s celebrations, however about approaching its customs with respect and recognising that learning about one another can strengthen what Malaysians share.