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❅ᜐᜋᜓᜎ uglyluhan.bsky.social
@uglyluhan
Asian folklore, cultures, communities, politics, and history with a focus on Malaysia
3 subscribers
May 22 • 123 tweets • 33 min read
Very long thread on misconceptions regarding the Orang Asli, Malay origins, and indigeneity in Malaysia. I'll be repeating myself a lot here but this time I'll try to include a source for each point "Malays are immigrants from Indonesia"

I want to start with this because it leads in to some later points. This is based on outdated theories of human migration which assumed that the ancestors of several SEA peoples arrived a matter of centuries ago
Aug 22, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Two reasons. For one thing, it's a simple matter of language. Many Malays, including those who are fluent in English, don't know what liberal means. It's the reason why in Malaysia, liberal just means "anything I disagree with", much in the same way they misunderstand "consent" The other reason is the popular American use of liberal to mean the left-wing, with "conservative" meaning the right. This isn't what either of those terms mean but for certain historical reasons it's become accepted usage worldwide
Sep 21, 2022 • 41 tweets • 15 min read
I got around to watching Mat Kilau. Now I'm sure you've all heard enough about this film already, but I kept my mouth mostly shut until now so I think there are a few points that deserve to be reiterated This won't be a review but I will start by saying that the movie is entertaining and moves at a steady pace. The silat choreography is decent but ruined by shaky camera. Please can we do away with the shaky cam?

Sep 20, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
You mean like how you consider Zakir Naik an authority on Christianity, Hinduism, etc? Also "berotoriti" is even more annoying to see than "komited". So much for upholding the Malay language
Sep 20, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Things UNESCO never said Also note how every place on the map is labelled with its modern name except peninsular Malaysia is "Tanah Melayu", which Cendekiawan Palsu presumably believes is the old name for the country
Feb 16, 2022 • 109 tweets • 29 min read
Since this appears to be genuine, I'll reply without being snarky and in a way that even the uninformed from outside Malaysia can understand. The Patriots is a publishing company who release books and also post articles on social media

I've read their posts, their articles and a couple of their books for a few years, though I haven't really kept up during the past year. Nonetheless, my criticism of TP is not blind hatred and I have good reason to call them dangerous
Feb 7, 2022 • 61 tweets • 18 min read
After seeing a video on Tiktok, my friend asked me about the giant serpent of Kedah mythology. Though a few older folks have some vague recollection of a legendary big snake in Kedah, the tale itself is forgotten in modern #MalayFolklore As far as I know, the story has only been recorded by Sherard Osborn who heard it from a Batak boatswain in the 19th century. The significance of this legend will become apparent as we go on
Sep 24, 2021 • 7 tweets • 5 min read
Hand fans of various shapes existed around the world since ancient times, but if you mean the folding fans that often have batik designs, they were invented in early medieval Japan and spread throughout Southeast Asia via China Despite being essentially a foreign adoption, the folding fan was popular enough that it became a part of the culture in every Southeast Asian country, even reaching as far as Bengal, making it truly pan-Asian. Today they're usually only seen in classical dances
Sep 23, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
This is an increasingly common misinterpretation of the left-right political spectrum among right-wingers. It puts both communism and fascism on the far left because they're "authoritarian". The further right you go, the more freedom you have This of course is not how the spectrum works. The concept of a political left and right traces back to the French Revolution when those who supported the monarchy sat on the right of the president of the National Assembly, and those who supported the revolution sat on the left
May 27, 2021 • 123 tweets • 45 min read
Let's take a look at #RayaAndTheLastDragon, the influences and inspirations that went into its setting, my thoughts on the Southeast Asian theme, and my view of the criticisms against it. I'm writing this from memory so I might've forgotten or overlooked stuff First off, this is not a review. I enjoyed the movie and I liked the ending song, but I also felt the plot was linear and most of the supporting characters were extended gags with little to no development

May 19, 2021 • 16 tweets • 5 min read
If Malaysians know one thing about local history, it's the beloved tale of why the constitution grants special privileges to "natives". What's less well known is that the mainstream narrative is very one-sided The story goes that Malays fought for independence from the British, but non-Malays begged for citizenship. Malays were forced by the Brits to accept the immigrants, but were given special privileges in exchange. This is what the right means when they tell you to belajar sejarah
May 17, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Methods of flying in Indo-Malay legends for #MythologyMonday

1. Ride a flying creature, like a dragon or giant eagle Image 2. Alternatively, BECOME a giant eagle

Apr 17, 2021 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
Duli has absolutely no relation to Arabic. It comes from the Sanskrit dhuli meaning dust or ash. This is mentioned in the video, but an additional Arabic connection was tacked on from nowhere "Yang Maha Mulia" is what it sounds like. Again, this refers to the ruler himself, not God. The notion that "maha" must be solely reserved for God is very, very recent and has never been a Malay tradition. Not even after the introduction of Islam. Never

Apr 17, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Besides the points made in this thread, it's also worth noting that the separation of man from nature occurs in Malay mythology as well. Several Malay legends speak of a time when humans could communicate with animals and trees

In some stories, the trees imparted knowledge, only a portion of which was passed down. This has been noted as an allusion to pagan animism, when humans learned from the natural environment rather than religion

Apr 17, 2021 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Malay theatre is closely tied to the concept of angin (literally meaning wind), referring to one's temperament or well-being. Dance-drama and puppetry affects the angin of the audience, but a master is also drawn to perform by their own angin

#SuperstitionSat This definition of "wind" ties into the elements of Malay metaphysics. The body is said to be made up of five elements (pancabuta) namely fire, water, earth, wind and space. The fifth element (angkasa), translated as space or void, is intangible and often left out
Mar 15, 2021 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
I don't know why it was done in this case but there is a reason Chinese names are listed down like that. It might be hard to understand if you're unfamiliar with the language and writing system First of all, you might notice that when a Chinese person introduced themselves to another Chinese, they sometimes explain or show how it's written. Why? Because the meaning and tones of the name might not be clear without knowing the characters used to write it
Mar 13, 2021 • 48 tweets • 12 min read
Why non-Muslims should be allowed to use #KalimahAllah

Response to every bad argument. Let me know if there are more A directive from the Malaysian Home Ministry in 1986 first prohibited non-Muslim publications from using words like Allah, Kaabah, Baitullah and solat. The word Allah continued to be used by Christians, particularly in the Bornean states
Mar 11, 2021 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Early forms of this are happening. Manga-influenced art is used in comics to defend homophobia, Malay privilege, misogyny and exclusionism in a "cute" way that appeals to gen-z Young Malays who genuinely believe they're not racist happily call non-Muslims kafir and post on FB about how the majority should be "respected" for the sake of interracial harmony, smiley emojis and all. These same kids often dislike right-wing American politics
Feb 12, 2021 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
To start the lunar new year, let's take a look at this particular bovine's role in Malay culture. Now just to clarify, whether you translate 牛 as cow, bull or ox, it's the same thing

Bull = male
Cow = female
Cattle = species
Ox/bullock = draft cattle, usually a castrated bull Cattle, along with other livestock, were traditionally given as gifts to newly married couples. Bulls were made to fight during festivals. The fights weren't to the death, and ended when one animal retreats
Feb 3, 2021 • 85 tweets • 28 min read
Since everyone was talking about Malays "dressing beautifully again", it's as good a time as any to look at historical Malay clothing. This won't go into detail but I just wanna give people a general idea of how pre-modern Malays dressed because I'm sick of the anachronisms Unfortunately there's been relatively little study on this topic, and the average person is left to make assumptions. I've seen Malay period dramas where the men are wearing the same baju they bust out for Raya. But I'll deal with that later
Feb 2, 2021 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
A common plot in Malay fairy tales is the story of an animal which turns out to be a cursed human prince or princess, much like the German story of the Frog Prince. In the legend of Raja Bongsu, the princess turns into a snake every night

#FairyTaleTuesday Typical of Malay epic romances, it begins with the trope of the wandering prince, as Raja Bongsu travels disguised as a commoner. An ape leads him to a silat master who teaches him martial arts and magic (ilmu persilatan dan kesaktian)