About Malay Sarongs

Although it comes in many forms, the sarong is a common garment across Asia and the Pacific, and is even found as far afield as East Africa. Despite the many names and ubiquitous nature, it is sarong of Malaysia that is usually imagined, sometimes more so than the virtually identical sarongs from the Indonesian islands of Bali or Java. A traditional garment that is now usually saved for formal occasions in modern Malaysia, the sarong remains an iconic article of clothing in Malay culture.

Identification

The sarong is the lower article of clothing commonly worn by both men and women in Malaysia. There it is often called the "kain sarung" or "kain pelikat." A typical sarong is a yard wide and 2 1/2 yards long, and worn like a skirt.

Geography

Malaysia is a large Southeast Asian country that consists of two major areas: mainland Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo (the states of Sabah and Sarawak). Most of the people thought of as Malays live on the mainland, while Malaysian Borneo's native peoples are mostly non-Malay and made up of various tribes. Despite this diversity, the sarong is a common garment throughout the country, due to shared culture and the garment's virtues of being light and loose in a hot, humid, tropical climate.

Time Frame

It is common for women's sarongs in Malaysia to be an example of batik. This is a method of dying that uses layers of wax designs placed on top of the cloth to block the areas that the batik artist does not want dyed. These wax designs are then added and/or removed for each dip in a particular dye, until the intended design is produced.

Function

The traditional way to tie a sarong is: 1) hold out length-ways and step into the sarong, and then wrap it around the waist, with the bottom about the ankles and the top slightly above the navel; 2) hold on to the upper starting corner while doing this; 3) wrap around your waist until it is snug, and then tie a knot above the hip with the upper corners.

Malaysians wear sarongs either about the house or out at the mosque for Friday prayers. It is uncommon to see a Malaysian man wearing a sarong in public and for everyday use.

Considerations

Sarong-type garments are common in Asia and Polynesia, with many regional variations that make them distinct from the sort found in Malaysia. Good examples include the Khmer sampot or Indian dhoti. However, Malay and Indonesian sarongs are for all practical purposes identical, due to shared cultural features. Consider, for example, that both countries share batik crafts across a wide area. The national language of Indonesia is Bahsa Indonesian, which is a derivative of Malay. And, they even share ownership of the island of Borneo (along with Brunei).