Ethics

            Ethics On Wearing The Malay Baju Melayu


The Baju Melayu is not just merely a dress or costume, but when wearing it, certain traditional practices and ethics are followed (knowingly or unknowingly) by the Malays.It is opened at the front from the neck up to the middle of the chest. The shirt usually contains five buttons, two at the collar or neck area and three for the upper body.

This is the traditional cut and is of ethical significance, for the fact that Malays follow the Islamic faith or are Muslims, and this number of buttons on the shirt dress of the Baju Melayu signifies the five pillars of Islam.

It is very rare indeed for the traditional Baju Melayu to have more than five buttons.

And in the case of the Baju Kurung Teluk Belanga style, which has no collar, there is only one button or a "kancing" (threaded hook) that is used to strap the shirt at the neck.

   Having one button or "kancing" in this Johor styled Baju Melayu shirt is also symbolically significant as it signifies the only One God or Allah (subha nahu wataala) worshipped by the Muslim Malays.Another ethical concept is that the Baju Melayu, as a fashion style, the whole dress from the shirt to the trousers cannot be tight. It is not Baju Melayu if it is tight-fitted. The traditional attire is loose-fitting, for both shirt and trousers. This of course also fits with the usage of the costume for Islamic prayers, when bending and sitting are required.

And of course the traditional Baju Melayu is not for the discotheque. The Baju Melayu is worn especially during major religious festivals celebrated by the Malays, such as Aidil Fitri and Aidil Adha. It is worn for prayers, and it is also the attire worn during traditional Malay weddings (during the bersanding as well as during the akad nikah) and performances of traditional dances like joget, zapin, and others.

For those reasons, it is ethically incongruous to wear Baju Melayu to the modern discos. 

The colors of the Baju Melayu costume also have significance especially when attending formal occasions involving royalty. There are certain colors which must not be worn during such ceremonies.

    For instance, Royals can wear any color they like, but yellow or tinges of yellow are usual. Others are not allowed to wear such colors during formal occasions. And there are protocols and guidelines given for such occasions.For high officials the Baju Melayu is worn with the tanjak. The Baju Melayu is worn "sedondon", (of one material or fabrics, color and pattern) that is, the shirt, trousers, samping and tanjak, are of the same color, fabric and pattern.

    They are prohibited from wearing white yellow pairs of Baju Melayu. These are reserved for royalties. For the commoners or laymen the attire is Baju Melayu with a dastar or a headwear like the songkok. When wearing the samping and tanjak or tengkolok, which are the essential accompaniments of the Baju Melayu, the ethics and significance of the colors and the manner they are worn or tied must also be borne in mind. Certain colors of the samping and certain styles of the tanjak or tengkolok are reserved for royalty and high ranking officials. Well, the Baju Melayu has tested the evolution of time and yet it still retains its popularity and amazes with its style and elegance.But while aesthetically pleasing, the Baju Melayu also has ethical and traditional values that cultured and conservative Malays follow. That’s it. So much for a brief history of the Baju Melayu and some of the ethical aspects connected with the Baju Melayu, the traditional Malay costume for men in Pahang and Malaysia.